APMA News Brief

A number of states are quietly considering merging their healthcare exchanges under ObamaCare amid big questions about their cost and viability.

Many of the 13 state-run ObamaCare exchanges are worried about how they’ll survive once federal dollars supporting them run dry next year.  Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Learn more about health insurance exchanges and read APMA’s policy briefs at APMA's healthcare reform page.  

The biomechanical implications of high-heeled shoes are well known, and now dramatic weight-bearing images and new study findings are taking practitioner and patient awareness to the next level. But many women are still sacrificing their feet for fashion.

Visit http://lermagazine.com/cover_story/high-heels-elevating-the-discussion to view the full article online.

The placenta has been used for a century as a source of human donor tissue because of the regenerative properties provided by mesenchymal stem cells, combined with a lack of host rejection. More recently, research in the rapidly expanding field of regenerative sports medicine has been turning up promising uses for this vital, nourishing organ in the form of amniotic membrane (or "amnion") injections.

Visit http://www.arafitnews.org/ARAfitnews_V33_2/continued4.html to view the full article online.

Healthcare is a classic information-driven industry. Yet until recently, it suffered from a dearth of technology to support those we entrust with our lives. To reduce the avoidable harm we do and improve efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare delivery, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) stipulated that hospitals and other healthcare providers adopt technology to meet what are called Meaningful Use criteria. As part of this program, every eligible provider in the United States was offered between $44,000 and $63,000 if they adopted technology to support meaningful use. Click here to continue reading.

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

Since President Obama took office, the federal government has poured more than $29 billion into health information technology and told doctors and hospitals to use electronic medical records or face financial penalties.
But some tech companies, hospitals and laboratories are intentionally blocking the electronic exchange of health information because they fear that they will lose business if they share information on patients with competing providers, administration officials said. In addition, officials said, some sellers of health information technology try to "lock in" customers by making it difficult for them to switch to competing vendors.

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/27/us/electronic-medical-record-sharing-is-hurt-by-business-rivalries.html?ref=health&_r=2 to view the full article online.

Medicaid insures more than 70.5 million Americans, according to the most recent report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Largely low-income health care consumers, these patients have had a notoriously difficult time finding physicians to treat them, and in a reasonable amount of time.

Visit http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-insurance/articles/2015/05/26/youve-got-medicaid-why-cant-you-see-the-doctor to view the full article online.

Two recent studies show blood-sugar levels can affect the brain—-adding new evidence that diabetes might be a significant risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Visit http://www.wsj.com/articles/diabetes-may-be-a-risk-factor-for-developing-alzheimers-studies-find-1432583222 to view the full article online.

Heels, as many wearers know, present a physical problem. They can harm your feet and your spine and your general ability to stay upright. But they’re still nearly institutionalized in white-collar workplaces and Hollywood parties.

Visit http://www.bendbulletin.com/nation/3189939-151/all-thats-wrong-with-high-heels# to view the full article online.

Ballet flats have been becoming very popular in recent years and are seen as a stylish alternative to high heels. However, podiatric physicians worldwide warn that ballet flats should not be viewed as an alternative to high heels because they come with their own set of health concerns.

Visit http://thecourier.com/local-news/2015/05/24/weekend-doctor-76/ to view the full article online.

Living with diabetes requires you to pay special attention to your health and your condition. Follow your doctor's instructions regarding diet, exercise and medication. Keeping your blood sugar (glucose) levels within the recommended range is one of the best things you can do to control your condition and protect your feet.

Visit http://www.rxlist.com/diabetes_foot_problems_slideshow/article.htm to view the full article online.

Sandal season is upon us, so your pedicure appointments are likely to book up quickly. We know spas do everything they can to ensure sanitary and relaxing facilities for all services, including nailcare.

Visit http://www.americanspa.com/spa-blog/safety-tips to view the full article online.

If you go to a shoe shop during half term next week, you may see lots of children getting their feet measured with iPads. Shoe company Clarks has bet millions on the scheme, hoping it will be rewarded with an invaluable bonanza of digital data.

Visit http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32738088 to view the full article online.

Skin tears happen when the outer layer of skin is partially or completely separated from the bottom layer. This can happen with the slightest abrasion, scrape or shear with a purse handle, bracelet, shopping bag, door jam, or bushes in the yard.

Visit http://www.news-press.com/story/life/wellness/2015/05/25/properly-care-skin-tear/27789667/ to view the full article online.

While you may have a family history of obesity, diabetes, heart disease or even cancer, studies on how environmental factors influence and regulate gene activity— epigenetics— suggest day-to-day choices can defy supposed genetic predispositions and fight disease.

Visit http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/05/25/how-diet-and-lifestyle-can-impact-your-familys-genetic-disease-risk/ to view the full article online.

While politicians debate the future of Medicare and Medicaid, few question that those programs are here to stay. It's easy to forget how controversial the idea of government healthcare programs was for most of the 20th century, and how many decades it took to enact the programs.

Visit http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20150523/MAGAZINE/305239981/will-medicare-and-medicaid-predict-acas-future to view the full article online.

No kidding—high heels can be hell. Check out the numbers: Women have approximately four times as many foot issues as men, according to the College of Podiatry—something podiatrists contribute to the wearing of high heels. What’s more, a 2014 survey by The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) found that nearly half of all women (49 percent) wear high heels, even though the majority of heel wearers (71 percent) say the shoes hurt their feet.

Visit http://news.health.com/2015/05/26/what-high-heels-are-really-doing-to-your-body/ to view the full article online.

Puerto Rico has been laid low for nearly a decade by crippling debt and a near-perpetual recession that has triggered a migration to the U.S. mainland unmatched since the 1950s. Now, a growing number of people on the island worry that another crisis is looming: the collapse of the island’s health-care system.

Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/05/26/already-deep-in-debt-puerto-rico-now-faces-a-new-crisis/ to view the full article online.

For people with diabetes, switching to a plant-based diet may ease the searing nerve pain that can come with the condition, and perhaps reduce their risk of losing a limb, a small pilot study has found.

Visit http://www.livescience.com/50957-vegan-diet-eases-nerve-pain-diabetes.html to view the full article online.

Two recent literature reviews underscore the lack of high-level evidence to support the various treatments available for idiopathic toe walking. But new research is starting to fill that void, and is also engendering new theories about factors that may contribute to the condition.

Visit http://lermagazine.com/issues/november/toe-walking-researchers-revisit-idiopathic-label to view the full article online.

Researchers and clinicians have found that plantar pressure assessment can help document the dynamic effects of hallux valgus surgery, postoperative physical therapy, and footwear or orthotic interventions, particularly in cases involving less than optimal results after surgery.

Visit http://lermagazine.com/article/hallux-valgus-and-plantar-pressure-measurement to view the full article online.

The most common paradigm in bunion surgery relies on one or more metatarsal osteotomies to correct the 1-2 intermetatarsal angle (IMA) and soft tissue balancing to align the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ), sesamoid apparatus, and hallux.

Visit http://lermagazine.com/article/a-new-triplanar-paradigm-for-bunion-management to view the full article online.

A Supreme Court ruling due in a few weeks could wipe out health insurance for millions of people covered by President Barack Obama's health care law. But it's Republicans — not White House officials — who have been talking about damage control.

Visit http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/ugly-potential-fallout-supreme-court-health-care-case-31285566 to view the full article online.

The juncture where patients are discharged from hospitals to skilled nursing facilities for rehabilitation is pinpointed by a new study as a place where greater focus could prolong lives and reduce costs. Click here to continue reading.

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

An association between resting heart rate and diabetes suggests that heart rate measures could identify individuals with a higher future risk of diabetes, according to an international team of researchers.

Visit https://www.biospace.com/News/faster-heart-rate-linked-to-diabetes-risk-penn/378286 to view the full article online.