BYLAWS CHANGES FOR ABMS-CERTIFIED DOs 

AOA Trustee John W. Becher, Jr., DO, Chair of the Bureau of AOA Constitution and Bylaws, convened a conference call last night to consider changes to the AOA basic documents following action by the Board of Trustees at the AOA Midyear Meeting last month.  The Bureau approved an amendment to the AOA Bylaws that creates a new class of membership for osteopathic physicians that are ACGME-trained and certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties.  The Bureau also approved a Bylaws amendment that changes the method by which physicians in postdoctoral training are represented in the AOA House of Delegates; notice of these changes will be published in an upcoming JAOA - The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association to give ninety days' notice of this change before the House of Delegates meeting in July.

PODIATRISTS LOSE BODY-PART TURF BATTLE  (SCOPE OF PRACTICE)
By Corrie MacLaggan, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 19 March 2008

AUSTIN - When is the ankle part of the foot?
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/03/19/0319foot.html

REQUIRED MEDICAL OFFICE WORKPLACE POSTINGS FOR PATIENTS AND STAFF

For Patients
Complaint procedure notice: Chapter 178 of the Texas Medical Board rules requires posting of this notice of complaint procedure in English and Spanish. The signs must be displayed prominently. (In addition, you must include the same wording with all bills for services, and/or place it on all registration forms, applications, or contracts.)
 

For Employees
Practices are required to have applicable Texas and federal labor law postings visible to the staff. You can download all these notices from the Texas Workforce Commission Web site.

NEW WAYS TO MANAGE HEALTH DATA
Washington Post - March 11, 2008

You already bank online and use computer software to do your taxes. So why don't you trust technology to help you manage your health? Microsoft, Google and more than 100 Web sites offering personal health records know the answer, but they're betting they can quell your fears about posting your most private information online and get you to sign on soon. Online personal health records, or PHRs, began years ago as password-protected templates for storing basic medical information, accessible from any computer connected to the Web. Some still function that way, making them a convenience for patients with chronic conditions, life-threatening allergies and long medication lists. Many experts also recommend PHRs for adult caregivers of elderly family members or parents of children with chronic health problems.
click here for more:  www.washingtonpost.com

ATTORNEY GENERAL:  CHECK THE SOURCE OF ONLINE HEALTH INFORMATION

Consumer Alert:
When it comes to something as important as health and wellness, Texans seeking more information should always consult their doctor or licensed healthcare professional. According to a recent Pew Internet and American Life Project study, every day an estimated eight million Americans search the Internet for health care information. But Texans should never solely rely on a Web site to diagnose or treat a serious illness. Equally important, Internet users should always pay close attention to their information source.

Although many Web sites offer informative, helpful information about a variety of health and lifestyle issues, not every site can be trusted for accurate, factual material. Texans who consult the Internet for health care information should always pay close attention to who or what operates their favored Web sites.

In contrast, an unbiased online information source might include a broader spectrum of data about a given subject matter. For example, Web sites created by reputable organizations like the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association often feature peer-reviewed medical journals and other impartial research sources. In addition, many government agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration, impose similarly rigorous standards upon any research included on their Web sites.

But even trusted, verifiable online information cannot be relied upon to treat serious ailments or answer critical medical questions. Texans should always contact a licensed medical professional whenever their health is at risk. An in-person visit to a doctor's office or local clinic is the best way to ensure patients are getting accurate information that is tailored to their unique health needs.  Texans who have encountered misleading or deceptive medically-oriented Web sites may file a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General by calling (800) 252-8011 or visiting our Web site at www.texasattorneygeneral.gov.
 

PARENTS, HEALTH OFFICIALS IN DALLAS COUNTY ALARMED BY STD REPORT
Dallas Morning News - March 13, 2008

The numbers are scary. In Dallas County, health officials say nearly a third of patients infected with sexually transmitted diseases are younger than 25. Most recent county figures also show cases of gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia on the rise among local teenagers. A national report released this week concluding that one in four teenagers carries an STD is no less startling.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/031308dnmetstdfolo.314c51c.html
 
KELLY: TORT REFORM ISN'T THE PROBLEM
Austin American Statesman - March 12, 2008

Arbitration was authorized by Congress in 1925, not "the 1980s" as California plaintiff lawyer Peggy Garrity claims in "Tort Reform' Means Justice Denied" (March 5). Because the tort reform movement she reviles was not born for another half-century, it is more than a little illogical to denounce tort reform as the progenitor of arbitration. Nor was the Texas court ruling unusual, much less one that "should have provoked outrage across the United States." The court followed federal law as written by Congress in 1925 and as enforced by the U.S. Supreme Court in dozens of appeals, most recently in February 2008. No wonder Garrity's firestorm was rained out.
http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/03/11/0312kelly_edit.html

ADOPT USER AGREEMENTS TO PROTECT PORTABLE DEVICES, MEDIA 

Portable devices and media such as laptop computers, PDAs, USB flash drives, CD-ROMs and Blackberries are a fact of life in today's business environment, but they present special challenges for healthcare organizations that must ensure that PHI remains secure.

Firewalls
Up-to-date antivirus software
Spyware/adware protection
Secure, sign-on passwords
Tracking devices
Periodic risk analyses

This tip comes from the March issue of Briefings on HIPAA, From:  EHR Connection, HCPro, Inc., www.hcmarketplace.com

NEW LEGISLATION SEEKS TO STOP CUTS IN PHYSICIAN REIMBURSEMENTS
Texas docs stand to lose $18,000 each under current formula

AUSTIN- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has introduced legislation to improve healthcare access for Medicare patients by guaranteeing that physicians'Medicare reimbursements would not be cut over the next 18 months. The bill also provides incentives for quality reporting and adopting health information technology. 

"The problem is that now, because of the low reimbursement formulas, many doctors simply can't afford to keep their doors open and treat Medicare patients at these low rates. I recently read that in one county in Central Texas, only 18 percent of doctors will take Medicare patients because the formula is so low," says Cornyn, who adds that if the current Medicare formula is not changed, Texas physicians will lose $860 million between July 2008 and December 2009, a cut of $18,000 to each Texas physician. Cornyn's bill would also eliminate the sustainable growth rate beginning in 2010, replacing it with the Medicare economic index.

The act also would provide for increased incentives for reporting on the 10 most expensive disorders covered by Medicare. Beginning next year, the bonus payment for quality reporting would increase from 1.5 percent to 3 percent. "We need to start changing the way we reimburse physicians. We need a system that provides incentives for reduced costs and quality care, while protecting the eroded physician-patient relationship," Cornyn says.

The bill also provides for three years of bonus payments to offset the startup costs of adopting healthcare information technology. In addition, it provides safe-harbor from anti-kickback laws when implementing HIT.  Under current law, it is illegal for physicians to accept hardware or software from hospitals. Cornyn's bill would allow hospitals to help physicians' offices with HIT implementation, as long as they do not restrict the physician's HIT interoperability, clinical practice, or referral system for their own financial benefit.

"Doctors in private practice contract to be able to admit patients to local hospitals. Hospitals are usually more likely than small practices to have adopted some form of HIT, and it is helpful for the physician and the hospital to have interactive computer systems," Cornyn told the Senate.

William Hinchey, president of the Texas Medical Association says the bill addresses many of the issues the state's physicians have with the current Medicare payment system. "For years, we have been calling on Congress to enact a rational Medicare physician payment system that automatically keeps up with the cost of running a practice and is backed by a stable funding source. Sen. Cornyn's bill will help make sure that America

ARE YOUR DISCARDED PC'S REALLY CLEAN? 

It's inevitable. You purchase new PCs for your practice, and an employee approaches you with the question:  "What are we doing with our old computers? My sister/cousin/neighbor/church could really use one, and if you're just going to throw them out.  (insert guilt here)."

I've heard every variant of this question -- posed by CEOs to receptionists alike -- each looking to obtain a used PC for their son, daughter, church, charity, home office, or use it as a component for their home stereo system (really).

Before the Good Samaritan in you hands one of your replaced PCs over, there are a few things you may want to take into account before proceeding with this act of kindness. After all, no good (technology) deed goes unpunished.

From:  Physicians Practice Tech Doctor, by Physicians Practice®, www.PhysiciansPractice.com/index.cfm.

HOUSTON-AREA EXPERTS LOOK AT HOT ISSUES IN THE HEALTH CARE ARENA
Houston Business Journal - March 19, 2008

The Bush administration proposes allowing the states to redirect some $30 billion in federal dollars currently used for helping hospitals that care for a disproportionate number of the uninsured to subsidize health insurance coverage for the poor. Gov. Rick Perry's proposed "Healthier Texas" plan would use these dollars, along with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Texas Lottery, to establish an insurance funding pool. Low-income individuals could qualify for premium assistance subsidies of up to $150 financed by money from the pool.

Caution should be exercised, however, when tinkering with federal dollars targeted for helping "safety net" hospitals pay for the cost of caring for the uninsured. Should these reforms fall short of their stated promise, the financial plight of such hospitals, currently precarious at best, will likely worsen.

http://houston.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2007/03/12/focus6.html

AOA HEALTH POLICY NOTES

USA Today also reported on 3/19/08 that 18% of Baby Boomers, or 14 million Americans, are expected to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia in their lifetimes, and Americans as a whole are developing Alzheimer's at an accelerating rate.

LAUGHTER IS A PART OF THE HUMAN SURVIVAL KIT                                     (David Nathan)

ALL I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE I LEARNED FROM THE EASTER BUNNY
Everyone needs a friend who is all ears.
Everyone is entitled to a bad hare day.
Keep your paws off other people's jellybeans.
There's no such thing as too much candy.
Good things come in small sugar-coated packages.

What do you call a line of rabbits walking backwards?A. A receding hareline.

Q. How can you tell which rabbits are the oldest in a group?   A. Just look for the gray hares.

"Easter is the only time when it's perfectly safe to put all your eggs in one basket."               Author: KarenR

A thief broke into the Grace police station and stole all the toilets. The mayor was quoted as saying, "The police have absolutely nothing to go on."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADVOCATE DO MEDICAL LIABILITY COVERAGE FOR DO's

TOMA members want and deserve the best service and rates for their Medical Liability Insurance, which is why TOMA has selected Advocate, DO to be their exclusive Medical Liability Insurance carrier.  Advocate, DO offers full coverage, aggressive claims management, pro-active risk management, 24/7 customer support and competitive rates.  Plus, you can mid-term your policy with Advocate, DO's Continuous Policy and make monthly payments with no interest charges or surplus fees.

With the Continuous Policy, you will automatically receive a 10% discount and are eligible for additional discounts and credits.  Prior acts coverage and part-time coverage are also available.  Please visit www.advocatedo.com for additional information.

Advocate, D.O.

Underwritten by Advocate, MD Insurance Company of the Southwest Inc.

800-686-2734 or 512.275.1830

www.advocatedo.com