pre-existing condition / shutterstock

“Under our plan, no one can be denied coverage based on a pre-existing condition.” Under the ACA, the phrase “no one” literally means “no one,” while in the Burr-Hatch-Upton proposal it means “no one who is continuously enrolled in a health plan offering at least catastrophic coverage following a one-time open enrollment period."[read more]

ghost town / shutterstock

Nothing spells the demise of a community more clearly than unanswered posts and lack of activity. If you want to build a thriving community, focus on the people, help them connect and get them talking. To be successful, a community needs activity.[read more]

measles

I recognize an informed individual’s right to refuse treatment. An adult with appendicitis has a right to refuse appendectomy, against the advice of the surgeon. But does a parent have a right to deny the measles vaccine for their kids? I don’t think so. Here’s why.[read more]

The author, with Dick and Carole Crew

Just two weeks ago, I wrote of losing an old television colleague to liver cancer. From diagnosis to death was less than two months. Today I am writing about the death this past weekend of another old friend and mentor, Dick Crew, who fought diffuse large B-cell lymphoma for about a year.[read more]

GOP's plan / shutterstock

The Burr-Hatch-Upton proposal to repeal and replace the ACA leads off with a set of “common-sense consumer protections.” The narrative here is something like this: Consumers are the innocent victims of villainous insurance companies that have been emboldened by Obamacare, and it is up to us–the GOP lawmakers–to play the hero.[read more]

social media for clinical trials

With enrollment rates continuing to drop even as more clinical trials are being conducted, the imperative is clear: clinical trial coordinators must seek new approaches in order to reverse this trend and meet their enrollment goals. Here’s a closer look at social media's potential to change the landscape of clinical trial recruitment.[read more]

accountable care / shutterstock

Creating an ACO in a health system or network requires new organizational structures, new IT capabilities and, most importantly, new leadership skills. Learn five mistakes that experienced, successful leaders avoid when developing an ACO.[read more]

It is estimated that up to 32 million people will receive insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. While a veritable flood of new patients may seem like a medical marketer’s dream come true, practices that are already stretched thin may not be able to adequately handle more patients.[read more]

Photo: StuartMiles/freedigitalphotos.net

Most medical providers are aware that October 1, 2015, is the date they must quit using the outdated ICD-9 billing codes and begin using ICD-10 codes. The implementation date has been postponed more than once and it is not expected to be postponed again (however, rumors are beginning to swirl around Congress).[read more]

It wasn’t until the President of Hendrick Motorsports Marshall Carlson needed the help of surgeons at Boston Children’s Hospital for his daughter that an orthopedic surgeon realized a model his team, his hospital and care teams around the country needed was right in front of him: NASCAR.[read more]

The Gun Violence Archive (GVA) is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC. The mission statement says the GVA was formed in 2013 to provide free online public access to accurate information about gun-related violence in the United States.” The number of children and teens killed or injured by firearms is startling.[read more]

Nosocomial infections may infect as many as 1 out of every 25 hospitalized patients, according to CDC data. That’s approximately 1.7 million patients annually. Hearing these figures you might be wondering if the protocols currently in place are ineffective and in need of review. The problem isn’t with the protocols, but rather, compliance.[read more]