The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ use of the Fraud Prevention System (FPS) led to $54.2 million in actual and projected savings for the Medicare fee-for-service program. However, the Office of Inspector General called for modifications to the FPS to increase savings over time, according to a report it released. Under the Small […]
Read MoreAuthors: Lad S et al Published in Spine 39 (12), E719-27 (May 2014) STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of a population-based insurance claims data set. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and lumbar reoperation for the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS), and examine their associated complications and health care costs. […]
Read MoreAuthors: Rice ASC et al., Lancet 2014 May 10; 383:1637 A phase 2 trial demonstrates the potential of angiotensin II type 2 antagonists, a new treatment target, to relieve the chronic neuropathic pain of postherpetic neuralgia. Because existing treatments for postherpetic neuralgia are often insufficient or ineffective, researchers have been investigating EMA401, an oral angiotensin […]
Read MoreIf a patient doesn’t pay his health insurance premiums, the insurer doesn’t have to pay the provider for care rendered during the grace period. That means that up to two months of provider services may not be reimbursed. A little-known provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act could leave physicians holding the bag […]
Read MoreAuthors: Weiss E et al., Br J Anaesth 2014 Jul 113:52 A new finger-cuff device might be useful as an early warning system for hemodynamic variability, but it is not a replacement for invasive monitoring. The Nexfin is a noninvasive finger-cuff device that uses photoplethysmographic technology to continuously measure arterial pressure. To compare Nexfin measurements […]
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