Physicians face pay cut for MRIs, CT scans

Federal health regulators have announced new rules that will result in reduced payments for doctors who use expensive medical-imaging machines to screen patients for diseases such as cancer and heart problems. Read more

Health providers facing stiff HIPAA regulations

In the coming months, health care providers and contractors to the health industry can expect broader HIPAA coverage, beefed-up enforcement and stiffer civil penalties for violations. Read more

U.S. creates new program for reporting, analyzing adverse medical outcomes

The U.S. has created a new system whereby physicians and health care provider entities can confidentially report adverse medical events, and organizations can collect this data and use it to make safety recommendations.

The new program encourages health care providers to voluntarily report patient safety events to entities called “Patient Safety Organizations,” or PSOs.

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Doctors must pay attention to drug company gift ban

Now that the state Public Health Council has approved of the most extensive and restrictive ban in the country on pharmaceutical companies giving gifts to doctors, physicians cannot rest easy.

While the regulations govern only the activity of drug and device companies, not doctors themselves, any prescriber who receives an improper benefit from a drug or device company still risks serious reputational damage – and possibly professional discipline or even prosecution under state anti-kickback laws, health law experts say. Read more

Mandated care requires a careful balancing act

Physicians and other health care providers are operating under an increasing number of restraints, guidelines, regulations and laws.

These “mandates” are coming from multiple sources: state and federal governments, the courts, insurance companies, regulatory agencies and independent health care organizations that accredit and certify facilities and programs.

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Online health records: New frontier in a ‘wild, wild West’