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U.S. Supreme Court Rules To Rescue Healthcare Law

U.S. Supreme Court Rules To Rescue Healthcare Law

In the recent slew of United States Supreme Court cases, a decision was upheld involving the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Better known as “Obamacare,” the Supreme Court ruled on the wording and phrasing of the ACA. This case was a matter of a state’s obligation versus the federal government’s obligation. Due to funding issues and …

California and Washington Lead with Record Enrollments

California and Washington Lead with Record Enrollments

The Affordable Care Act (ACA aka “Obamacare”) calls for every citizen of the United States to be covered by some form of health insurance by the end of the Open Enrollment Period (OEP) in February 2015. Because of the nature of the mandate, a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) was opened to add a grace period …

The Business of Online Prescriptions

The Business of Online Prescriptions

With the rising healthcare costs in America, and specifically prescription drugs, many seek relief by purchasing prescription drugs online. People have turned to cheaper online alternatives for clothes, books, hotel reservations, and more; online prescription drug purchases are quickly becoming a solution for pharmacy needs. Some health insurance programs even offer buying prescription drugs online …

The Cost of Diagnostic Errors

The Cost of Diagnostic Errors

The Cost of Diagnostic Errors A new study has found that diagnostic errors are the single largest source of successful malpractice claims. Furthermore, the study concludes that diagnostic errors have the unfortunate distinction of being the most dangerous, costly and common type of medical mistake. Study Finds High Costs The study encompassed malpractice reports from …

Unnecessary Emergency Room Visits

Unnecessary Emergency Room Visits

Emergency room visits cost insurance providers a fortune, and quite often they’re unnecessary. In an age where scrutiny of the healthcare system is perhaps at an all-time high, there’s some less-than-great news being reported from the folks that keep score. According to a new scientific study, 71 percent of all emergency room visits by patients …

Personal Contact Reduces Readmission Rates

Personal Contact Reduces Readmission Rates

New research suggests that adding a personal touch to the doctor-patient relationship after discharge from the hospital may help to lower readmission rates of patients. This information comes courtesy of a trial program put together by three non-profit hospitals located in the Bronx, NY. Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center and St. Barnabas hospital …

End of Life Care Improvements

End of Life Care Improvements

End of Life Care Improvements According to a new report, Medicare patients are experiencing improvements in the end of life care that they receive. Specifically, beneficiaries who were chronically ill and in their last six months of life spent fewer days in the hospital in 2010 than they would have in 2007. Additionally, these beneficiaries …

EMR Software and Malpractice

EMR Software and Malpractice

For any physician, the potential of having to address a malpractice claim represents a major area of concern. It is thus in the best interest of medical professionals everywhere to mitigate this risk wherever and whenever possible. Reduce Medical Malpractice A recent study in Massachusetts by Harvard Medical School has found a positive relationship between …

FDA Approves First Pre-Surgical Breast Cancer-Fighting Drug

FDA Approves First Pre-Surgical Breast Cancer-Fighting Drug

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a biotech drug from Roche, offering an earlier approach to treat breast cancer before surgery. Perjeta, approved by the European Union in 2012, is now available to patients in the US. A New First Step Typically the first step to fight most forms of cancer is surgery …

Anesthesia Documentation Lagging

Anesthesia Documentation Lagging

A survey taken by the Academic Health Sciences Centre of Canada and published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine found wide-ranging inconsistencies between recorded anesthetic data. To conduct the survey, the research team provided questionnaires to four different adult McGill University hospitals. Anesthesiologists were asked to rank operational variables on a scale of 1 …