APMA News Brief

On April 15, 2015, the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR), making way for a $145 billion healthcare reform package. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: APMA provides information and resources on ACOs at APMA.org.

Over the next few weeks, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is expected to unveil an ambitious and comprehensive policy-making effort that promises to completely transform and radically overhaul the Medicaid managed care marketplace.

Visit http://www.mcknights.com/cms-plan-would-completely-overhaul-medicaid-managed-care/article/414128/ to view the full article online.

Text of a bill by Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, to delay the switch to ICD-10 diagnostic coding surfaced, in which it requests further study on the disruption on healthcare providers could face resulting from the replacement of ICD-9. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: APMA’s ICD-10 Resources will help you prepare for the transition to happen Oct. 1, 2015.

There are 142 days left until the International Classification of Diseases – ICD-10 – compliance. What’s next? More Medicare end-to-end testing efforts, says The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Visit http://revcycleintelligence.com/news/cms-promotes-icd-10-readiness-with-more-end-to-end-testing to view the full article online.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes should get a minimum of 150 minutes of light to moderate exercise per week including aerobic and resistance training.

Visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/milt-bedingfield/post_9394_b_7188266.html to view the full article online.

Poor ventilation, improper sterilization and other concerns can be a hazard for client and technician alike.

Visit http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2015/05/11/nail-salon-crackdown.html to view the full article online.

It's that time of year again – sandal season! – which means it's time to get our feet into tip-top shape before slipping them into our sliders and gladiators. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: Recommend APMA Seal products to your patients.

Chilly tootsies could simply mean that your office A/C is cranked up too high, or that you live in Minnesota. But frozen feet can also signal a host of other health conditions, ranging from poor circulation to serious nerve disorders.

Visit https://www.yahoo.com/health/why-your-feet-are-always-cold-118729908242.html to view the full article online.

Shoes are a fertile breeding ground for microorganisms that cause infections such as athlete’s foot.

Visit http://www.wsj.com/articles/shining-a-light-on-the-germs-in-your-shoes-1431354721 to view the full article online.

Podiatrist Dr. Lauren Kishman knows the most common foot complaints and lets you in on some secrets to get your feet summer-ready.

Visit http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Foot_Health_400/5-Secrets-to-Happier-Feet-This-Summer.shtml to view the full article online.

Chronic wounds (defined as wounds that won't heal within 30 days using conventional treatments) are becoming more prevalent in our aging society.

Visit http://www.reformer.com/health/ci_28069794/health-matters-dont-ignore-non-healing-wounds to view the full article online.

It now costs $10,000 or more per person annually to treat someone with diabetes than someone who doesn’t have the chronic disease, according to a new analysis of large insurance company claims data. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: Studies prove care by a podiatrist helps prevent diabetes complications and saves healthcare dollars.

Most flip-flops don’t have nearly the arch support, heel support or general padding that your sneakers or boots have. It stands to reason, then, that they’d be a tougher on your toes.

Visit http://www.thedailytimes.com/community/remember-to-take-care-of-feet-in-spring-summer/article_9e4f17bd-cc41-55a4-97e7-1a44446271f8.html to view the full article online.

A survey from the American Podiatric Medical Association tells us just how painful heels are. Dr. Jacqueline Sutera, a board-qualified foot surgeon, recommends the best shoes for your feet.

Visit http://www.wsj.com/video/when-it-comes-to-heels-beauty-is-pain/8B2D0973-45A9-4CA7-92D3-DFC900D9ED8F.html to view the full article online.

Now that Congress has slain the dragon called the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula, momentum is building to repeal yet another Medicare cost-control mechanism that is loathed by most of organized medicine: the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: APMA and its state components are among 500 groups to sign the latest IPAB repeal letter sent to Congress May 6.

On April 30, 2015, CMS released a massive new dataset with information on the over one billion prescription drug claims made by 36 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the Part D drug benefit in 2013.

Visit http://www.natlawreview.com/article/cms-releases-part-d-prescriber-level-data-part-larger-transparency-effort-some-stake to view the full article online.

Data breaches in the healthcare industry could be costing $6 billion, according to a new report by the Ponemon Institute, which conducts independent research on privacy data protection and information security policy. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: APMA reports on Security Risk Analysis in the latest IT Consultant column in the May issue of APMA News.

Five years after the Affordable Care Act passed, the law's provision allowing the expansion of Medicaid coverage to more people is still causing huge fights in state legislatures. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: See APMA’s Medicaid resources at APMA.org.

More providers than ever before have jumped on the bandwagon of telehealth technology. The use of mobile health tools to connect with patients via Skype, Google Hangouts, or other telepresence applications can reduce the amount of time patients spend at doctors’ offices and even lower overall healthcare costs.

Visit http://mhealthintelligence.com/news/telehealth-technology-improves-patient-access-to-care to view the full article online.

Recent repeal of the Sustainable Growth Rate formula, which benchmarked reimbursement to the U.S. gross domestic product, could complicate things for IT systems already overburdened with federal regulations. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Don’t miss APMA’s Health IT resources on APMA.org.