Health Insurers Tackle Deluge of Changes
Reform Regulations Are Kicking In Already
Healthcare reform requires changes of all stakeholders, but probably none more so than third-party payers, usually portrayed as wearing the black hat in this ongoing drama. In fact, President Obama hasn’t hesitated to cast insurers in the role of characters more worried about money than patient care... Read More


Current West TN Medical News

Health Insurers Tackle Deluge of Changes | J. James Rohack, Kris Haltmeyer, Robert Zirkelbach, health reform, American Medical Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, health insurance exchanges
Health Insurers Tackle Deluge of Changes
Reform Regulations Are Kicking In Already
Healthcare reform requires changes of all stakeholders, but probably none more so than third-party payers, usually portrayed as wearing the black hat in this ongoing drama. In fact, President Obama hasn’t hesitated to cast insurers in the role of characters more worried about money than patient care.

 
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Rusty DeGeorge
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Rusty DeGeorge
CEO, Conrad Pearson Clinic
Don't let Rusty DeGeorge's soft voice and laid back southern charm mislead you; he has seen both global suffering and daunting domestic challenges, and he is passionate about addressing them and making a difference in today's world.

 
Long Wait Over | Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, David Baytos, Ruth Ann Hale, Mississippi State Department of Health, DeSoto County, Mary Currier, Mississippi State Health Officer
Long Wait Over
Methodist Wins CON Approval to Build Hospital in Olive Branch
After years of wrangling, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has been given the green light to build a new 100-bed acute care hospital in Olive Branch.

 
Sometimes I Wish Something Could Just Stay the Same
Version 5010 Transition for Electronic Claims Submission
With almost 100 percent of Medicare Part A claim transactions being submitted electronically (and just over 96 percent of the Part B claims) using the Version 4010/4010A1 of healthcare standards, payers and providers must implement, test and transition to the 5010 Version transaction to be compliant with HIPAA no later than January 1, 2012.

 
Medical Economics: Managed Care Contracting - Helpful Hints
Do your homework. Before proceeding in negotiations with a payer, make sure you have an understanding of the extent of leverage you have with the plan. This will drive the negotiation process. If you have negotiated a contract before, you most likely will know the payer representative you will be working with. If not, ask questions of you colleagues about the payer and the payer representatives that have responsibility in your market.
 
Healthy Memphis Commontable Update
Healthy Memphis Common Table (HMCT), the regional health and healthcare improvement collaborative for the greater Memphis area is pleased to announce our 2010 Board of Directors
 
The Race of a Lifetime
Prostate cancer has been winning the race for some time now. This year alone 28,000 men will die from this debilitating disease, but it doesn't have to keep winning. This year on Saturday, September 11, Memphis is hosting the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge. This national event is our chance to fight back against this silent killer; it is our chance to beat prostate cancer and win the race of life.
 
RESEARCH REPORT: Porterfields Lead Groundbreaking Study on ICD Reliability
After leading a groundbreaking study on the long-term reliability of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), James G. Porterfield, MD, and his wife, Linda M. Porterfield, PhD, from Methodist University Hospital, determined that St. Jude Medical Riata defibrillation lead adverse events are low and fall within the range of currently recognized standards.
 



Health Information Technology Focus

St. Jude Breakthrough Update | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Breakthrough Update
Pediatric Research Shows Early Promise against Medulloblastomas, Link to Increased Malignant Tumor Risk, AML Survival Improvement
At the 46th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago earlier this summer, researchers from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC) revealed findings of a pediatric brain tumor study using an experimental drug that targets the underlying genetic makeup of the tumor.

 
New Immunization Rules Impact School, Day Care Enrollment | Kelly Moore, Tennessee Department of Health, immunization requirements, school enrollment, Certificate of Immunization, vaccine schedule
New Immunization Rules Impact School, Day Care Enrollment
It's been a decade since Tennessee last updated immunization requirements for children. An enhanced schedule, which became official at the end of 2009, impacts those enrolling in day care, pre-school, elementary/middle school and college.
 
Children Are Not Small Adults | Edward R.B. McCabe III,  nanopediatrics, Mattel Children's Hospital, Pediatric Research
Children Are Not Small Adults
Nanopediatrics Emerges to Ensure Nanotechnology Encompasses Kids

Imagine a pump the size of a molecule delivering medicine directly in the body where it's needed. Or a miniscule tool programmed to seek out and destroy the first cancer cells of a tumor. That's the promise of nanomedicine, medical applications in the much broader field of nanotechnology. Yet, as such customized medical innovations are being researched, Edward R.B. McCabe III, MD, has one reminder: Kids are different.


 



Provider/Payer Relations Focus

Keeping Score
Keeping Score
As pay for performance (P4P) is expanded by Medicare, many commercial insurance companies are jumping on the bandwagon as well. P4P or value-based purchasing is a payment model that rewards physicians, hospitals, medical groups and other healthcare providers for meeting certain performance measures for quality and efficiency. As with Medicare, many commercial insurance companies also are looking to tie reimbursement and, in some models, rewards to these quality measurements.
 
Maximizing Reimbursements | Reimbursements, Physician Payer Relations, Elizabeth Woodcock, Jeffrey Milburn, MGMA, Healthcare Contract, Fee Schedule
Maximizing Reimbursements
In an environment of rising costs and diminishing returns, it's easy to hone in on contracted rates as the sole source of financial woes. Certainly, negotiating favorable reimbursements with payers is key to a healthy bottom line, but it's really only half the story.
 



Practitioner Spotlight

PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Bruce Maley, MD
PHYSICIAN SPOTLIGHT: Bruce Maley, MD
Talk to Jackson pediatrician Bruce Maley, MD, for just a minute and it is easy to see why he takes care of kids. The unabashedly proud family man knew in medical school he wanted either to bring children into the world or take care of them once they arrived. If he had only enjoyed surgery more, he may have gone with obstetrics and gynecology. Fortunately, for the kids in West Tennessee, he followed his heart into pediatrics.
 



Trusted Advisors




Bad News About Youth Boosts Elders' Esteem
Title: Bad News About Youth Boosts Elders' Esteem
Category: Health News
Created: 9/2/2010 11:04:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/2/2010 11:04:48 AM Posted Thursday, September 2, 2010 2:00 am CDT

Weight Loss Pill Meridia Raises Heart Attack, Stroke Risks
Title: Weight Loss Pill Meridia Raises Heart Attack, Stroke Risks
Category: Health News
Created: 9/2/2010 11:01:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/2/2010 11:01:05 AM Posted Thursday, September 2, 2010 2:00 am CDT

Michael Douglas and Throat Cancer FAQ
Title: Michael Douglas and Throat Cancer FAQ
Category: Health News
Created: 9/2/2010 10:56:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/2/2010 10:56:02 AM Posted Thursday, September 2, 2010 2:00 am CDT

Sex Not on Most New Moms' Minds
Title: Sex Not on Most New Moms' Minds
Category: Health News
Created: 9/2/2010 10:44:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/2/2010 10:44:51 AM Posted Thursday, September 2, 2010 2:00 am CDT

Health Tip: When Something's Stuck in Your Eye
Title: Health Tip: When Something's Stuck in Your Eye
Category: Health News
Created: 9/1/2010 10:10:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/2/2010 Posted Thursday, September 2, 2010 2:00 am CDT

Health Tip: Don't Drive After Drinking
Title: Health Tip: Don't Drive After Drinking
Category: Health News
Created: 9/1/2010 10:10:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 9/2/2010 Posted Thursday, September 2, 2010 2:00 am CDT


PBR Memphis Invitational - Mid South Horse Review

Mid South Horse Review

PBR Memphis Invitational
Mid South Horse Review
Fresh from a win in San Antonio, Texas, Nance won Round 1 riding “Bad Medicine” (owned by Teague Bucking Bulls) the full eight seconds with a score of 88.25 ...

Posted Thursday, September 2, 2010 4:12 pm CDT

ANDREWS v. ANDREWS - Leagle.com

ANDREWS v. ANDREWS
Leagle.com
In 2001, when the family moved to Memphis, they resided for a time in a rented house. In 2004, the parties purchased a home in Germantown, Tennessee, ...

and more »
Posted Wednesday, September 1, 2010 9:43 am CDT

Healthy Memphis: Parents should get involved with teens' physical exams - Memphis Commercial Appeal

Healthy Memphis: Parents should get involved with teens' physical exams
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Family medicine doctors care for people of all ages. An adolescent girl might prefer to see an OB/GYN. During the teen years, there should be a complete ...

Posted Monday, August 9, 2010 12:13 am CDT