AAFP News Now
The family physician's trusted source for news -- ANN is the official news publication of the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Updated: 13 min 58 sec ago
Rare Cases of Severe Liver Injury Linked to Orlistat
The FDA has completed its safety review of the weight-loss medication orlistat, and the agency has approved a revised label for the prescription version of the medication -- which is marketed as Xenical -- and a new label warning for the OTC product version, which is marketed as Alli.
Medicare Enrollment Process Fraught With Opportunities for Missteps
A three-physician family medicine practice in Lexington, Va., recently found itself with roughly $40,000 in unpaid Medicare claims -- practice revenue that was in limbo because of a cascade of blunders in Medicare's physician enrollment process. Brenda Harlow, office manager for Lexington Family Practice since 1981 and, thus, no newcomer to the Medicare game, said she'd never seen anything like the mess in which the practice found itself recently.
More Children's Medications From Shuttered McNeil Plant Recalled
Problems at McNeil Consumer Healthcare's Fort Washington, Pa., facility have led to another recall of children's medications. Blacksmith Brands Inc. announced May 28 that it is voluntarily recalling all lots of four products in its PediaCare line. The company said in a news release that it is recalling the OTC products as a precautionary measure because they were manufactured for Blacksmith by McNeil Consumer Healthcare at McNeil's Fort Washington plant. McNeil closed that facility after the FDA issued a highly critical report on April 30 that said the plant did not meet the agency's good manufacturing practices requirements.
NCAFP Foundation, NC Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Join Forces on Student Interest, Mentoring Program
The North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians, or NCAFP, is teaming up with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, or BCBSNC Foundation, to start a mentoring program that aims to encourage more medical students to choose a career in family medicine and to practice in the state.
AAFP Encourages Members to Advocate for Long-Term Medicare Payment Fix
The AAFP has launched a grass-roots campaign to convince Congress to pass legislation that would meet the Academy's revised policy for Medicare physician payment and the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula.
News Briefs: Week of May 31-June 4
This roundup includes the following news briefs: Insurance Law Benefits Primary Care Physicians; Arizona Restores SCHIP Funding; and Promotion Rates Decline for Medical School Professors.
CMS Clarifies Signature Requirements for Medicare Participating Docs
Most physicians would prefer to avoid being targeted in the cross hairs of a Medicare auditor. The key to doing so, according to Cynthia Hughes, C.P.C., an AAFP coding specialist, is to understand and follow CMS' recently updated signature guidelines, which are outlined in the March 16 MLN Matters. "Physicians need to make sure everything is signed and legible and will support the service that was rendered to the patient," said Hughes. That's the best way to avoid claims denials and attempted recovery of previously paid benefits by CMS auditors, she added.
AAFP, Other Medical Groups Urge Ratification of Tobacco Treaty
The United States signed the World Health Organization, or WHO, Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2004, but six years later, the nation has yet to ratify the treaty. The AAFP is one of five medical professional organizations trying to change that. In a letter dated June 1, the Academy; the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP; the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; the American College of Physicians; and the AMA urged President Obama to refer the treaty to the Senate for ratification.
Study: Many Physicians Experience Depression During Internship Year
Looking back to 2007, Jennifer Middleton, M.D., M.P.H., a faculty member in a family medicine residency program in Pittsburgh, recalls that a physician who had just graduated from the program and was entering his first year of practice gave few signs that he was going to take his own life. And, she says, an intern at the residency who committed the same act several months later did not show obvious signs of depression. A recent study suggests, however, that depression is common -- at slightly higher than 25 percent -- among medical interns and can be linked to multiple factors, including the stresses of the internship experience itself.
AAFP Seeks Nominations for Health Care Boards, Committees
The recently enacted health care reform law has created opportunities for family physician membership on a variety of federal boards and committees that will oversee implementation of the law's regulations, and the AAFP is looking for FPs who are interested in serving.
Enforcement of 'Red Flags' Rule Stalls Again
The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, announced May 28 that enforcement of the antifraud identity theft Red Flags Rule would be delayed again -- this time through Dec. 31. In a press release, the agency said the delay was requested by members of Congress so they could consider legislation that would affect the scope of entities covered by the rule.
FDA Issues Warning About Proton Pump Inhibitors
The FDA is warning physicians and consumers about a possible increased risk of fractures for the hip, wrist and spine with high doses or long-term use of proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs. The labeling on these products will be changed to describe these risks for both the prescription and OTC product versions, the agency said.
Congress Fails to Avert Medicare Payment Cut Scheduled for June 1
Congress has failed to pass a bill to provide a positive update in the Medicare physician payment rate for the next 19 months, thus allowing a 21.3 percent Medicare payment reduction to take effect based on the sustainable growth rate, or SGR, formula on June 1.
AAFP Executive Committee Says 'No' to Further Medicare Payment Patches Unless They Meet Academy Criteria
The AAFP's executive committee has decided that if Congress cannot provide a permanent fix for the Medicare physician payment formula, then the AAFP will not support any legislation that provides a temporary payment patch unless the legislation meets the Academy's new criteria. Those criteria are that any temporary measure must include a primary care payment differential and must extend at least through Dec. 31, 2012.
Organizations Unite in Calling on Congress to Act on Medicare Payment Cut Now
The AAFP, together with other leading primary care organizations and the nation's largest senior lobby, today called on Congress to pass a bill that would provide a positive update in the Medicare physician payment rate. Without congressional intervention, physicians face a 21.3 percent reduction in the Medicare payment rate on June 1. "Unless Congress acts to stop the 21 percent Medicare pay cut to physicians, even more elderly and disabled Americans and military families will find themselves holding a Medicare or TRICARE card that has little or no value," said Heim during a May 26 press conference.
News Briefs: Week of May 24-28
This roundup includes the following news briefs: Labeling Changes for Tramadol Will Emphasize Suicide, Overdose Risks; FDA Clears 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus Test Previously Available Only Under EUA; and 10 Million Americans Now Have Health Savings Accounts.
TransforMED Rolls Out New Product to Support Solo, Small Practices
TransforMED, a wholly owned subsidiary of the AAFP, has launched a new service that offers small primary care practices the help they need to implement the patient-center medical home, or PCMH, model of care.
AAFP, Others Defend USPSTF, Breast Cancer Screening Recs in Letter to HHS
The AAFP once again has come to the defense of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, or USPSTF, and its recommendations for breast cancer screening. The Academy and four of its sister organizations -- the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the Association of Departments of Family Medicine, the North American Primary Care Research Group and the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors -- sent a joint letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on May 24, voicing support for the USPSTF and the breast cancer screening recommendations the task force issued in November 2009.
Geisinger Health System Reports That PCMH Model Improves Quality, Lowers Costs
As pilot projects of the patient-centered medical home, or PCMH, model continue to roll out, some early adopters of the model are beginning to report the results of their PCMH pilots. One such early adopter is Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, a physician-led health care system that covers 43 counties. The company recently reported that its investment in the PCMH model has resulted in improved quality, lower costs, and greater physician and patient satisfaction rates.
Candidates Vie for AAFP Leadership Positions
Eleven candidates are seeking election or re-election to Academy offices and the AAFP Board of Directors. The AAFP Congress of Delegates will elect officers and new directors Sept. 29 in Denver. Find out more about the candidates' views on key topics by checking out the 2010 "AAFP Candidates" Web page (Members Only).