Authors: 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 […]
Read MoreThe Obama administration announced Wednesday that a new anti-fraud program in Medicare doubled the improper payments it identified or prevented this year. The Fraud Prevention System at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recovered or prevented more than $210 million of improper payments in its second year, the agency told Congress in a […]
Read MoreRalph Wuebker, MD, chief medical officer for Executive Health Resources, shared three myths on Medicare audits during a presentation at the Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Annual National Institute in Las Vegas earlier this week. Myth #1: There’s no audits right now. In January, the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals suspended the assignment of audit […]
Read MoreIs the patient cringing with neck pain telling the truth despite no evidence of trauma, or is he just looking to collect some insurance money? Thanks to a fully automated facial expression recognition system that operates in real time, the answer can now be discerned with a little more confidence. A joint study from researchers […]
Read MoreAuthors: Ogura T et al., J Trauma Acute Care Surg 2014 May 76:1243 The score is simple to calculate and can be done on most smart phones, but needs validation. Massive-transfusion protocols are designed to avoid coagulopathy by providing guidance for the ratio of blood products used, yet criteria for instituting these protocols are varied […]
Read MoreOne of the major arguments against the ICD-10 transition are the financial costs to medical practices. Sure, there are accusations of bureaucratic overreach and preventing physicians from spending time treating patients, but the anti-ICD-10 argument is primarily financial. So why not offer providers an incentive? Take the example of Meaningful Use. If the same physicians […]
Read MoreA recent survey by TransUnion Healthcare has found the majority (54 percent) of insured consumers are either sometimes or always confused by their medical bills. The survey made several findings concerning price transparency. The survey found 63 percent of survey respondents want to know the full cost of care, including their insurance company’s portion, while […]
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