The "Public Option" is just an element of providing greater access to care. In concept, it is a government program similar in concept to Medicare/Medicaid.  Opponents of the process believe there are better alternatives to a new governmental program, such as adding mandatory/enhanced provisions to existing commercial plans, e.g. employer play or pay, individual mandates, financial…

At this point, there are three comprehensive healthcare reform bills passed by key United States Congressional Committees, i.e. the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and a consortium of House committees, referred to as the House Tri-Committee, consisting of the Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and…

On October 20, 2009 the House voted to exempt small businesses from the Federal Trade Commission’s "red flag" rules. The  bill, H.R. 3763, exempts healthcare, legal, and accounting practices with 20 employees or less from "creditor" status under the rules. The bill now moves on to the Senate.  

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Paul J.

The AMA has predicted that the proposed Medicare SGR (sustainable growth rate) physician fee schedule decrease will reduce physician Medicare participation in 22 states.  Log onto the Medicare Payment Action Kit and see the predicted impact in your state.

Click here for the Medicare Payment Action Kit.

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As they do every year, the Internal Revenue Service released the dollar limits that apply to qualified retirement plans. There are three separate charts below that list the limits for 2010. The three charts are separated to identify the limits for: (1) defined contribution plans, (2) defined benefit plans, and (3) both defined contribution and defined…

Urgent: Call your senators and urge support of legislation repealing SGR

The Senate is scheduled to begin consideration of S. 1776, the “Medicare Physicians Fairness Act of 2009,” on Monday afternoon, Oct. 19. This just-introduced legislation eliminates the 21.5 percent cut in Medicare physician reimbursement for 2010 and repeals the sustainable growth rate (SGR)…


Finance Committee Approves Health Reform Bill, Snowe Sides With Democrats
October 13, 2009

With the support of a lone Republican, the Senate Finance Committee today approved a $829 billion health care package that would assure that most Americans would have access to health insurance, end discriminatory insurance industry practices and impose a tax on

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A laptop containing personal information for hundreds of thousands of physicians, including many in Pennsylvania, has been stolen.

According to a letter Highmark sent to its affected network physicians, the stolen laptop belonged to an employee of the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), who violated company policy by transferring provider network data…

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