APMA News Brief

The Society for Vascular Surgery, the American Podiatric Medical Association and the Society for Vascular Medicine recently collaborated on publication of the first set of clinical practice guidelines for treatment of diabetic foot.

Visit http://www.healio.com/orthotics-prosthetics/health-care-updates/news/online/%7B7c5e3591-dff9-4d88-931c-4e6c9757c54d%7D/new-guidelines-for-treatment-of-diabetic-foot-emphasize-effectiveness-of-total-contact-cast to view the full article online.

The Medicare program is taking new steps to screen out potentially fraudulent health-care providers and is releasing data to shed light on provider types and areas at a higher risk of fraud.

Visit http://www.bna.com/site-visits-data-n57982067604/ to view the full article online.

The situation: You packed your gym bag in the freaking middle of the night. OK, so it was technically 5:30 a.m. when the alarm went off, but it felt like the middle of the night.

Visit http://www.prevention.com/health/what-happens-to-barefeet-in-the-locker-room to view the full article online.

To most people a bunion is the bump on the inside of the big toe. The complete picture, however, is more complex.

Visit http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/lifestyle/health_and_wellness/article_79a240e4-c6ca-11e5-a536-4738f0533cf0.html to view the full article online.

Diabetes is not just about weight.

Visit http://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/diabetes/9-surprising-things-that-increase-diabetes-risk?cid=t1_rss1d&sr=C53310a10 to view the full article online.

Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and your big toe is swollen and so sensitive that even the weight of your sheets is painful. What could it be?

Visit http://www.today.com/health/when-your-foot-red-swollen-hurts-crazy-what-could-it-t74271 to view the full article online.

We expect a lot from our feet especially.

Visit http://www.capecod.com/lifestyle/caring-for-aging-feet-research-on-preventing-foot-disorders/ to view the full article online.

Family physician Pennie Marchetti, M.D., sole proprietor of Primary Care Physicians of Stow in Hudson, Ohio, runs a practice with some of the latest high-tech conveniences.

Visit http://www.aafp.org/news/practice-professional-issues/20160223digitalcards.html to view the full article online.

There is likely no clear winner in the fight between hospital and physician groups who are weighing in on Medicare's new site-neutral payment policy that goes into effect next year.

Visit http://healthleadersmedia.com/content/PHY-325541/Medicare-Sparks-SiteNeutral-Payment-Showdown to view the full article online.

In an effort to further protect and enhance the integrity of the Medicare program, CMS will be working harder ensure it utilizes only qualified providers and suppliers, Shantanu Agrawal, MD, CMS deputy administrator and director, Center for Program Integrity wrote in a blog post this week.

Visit http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/cms-heightens-fraudster-screening-of-medicare-providers-and-suppliers/414314/ to view the full article online.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt Monday said that the agency’s 2016 agenda is a busy one, but CMS will focus on the physician community’s input and a collaborative future that provides better care for patients.

Visit http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/ama-wire/post/3-changes-cms-making-put-patients-back-center-of-care to view the full article online.

Here are five things to know about big data analytics in healthcare, based on a report from Health Information Science and Systems.

Visit http://www.beckersspine.com/orthopedic-spine-practices-improving-profits/item/29921-5-ways-big-data-will-affect-healthcare-providers-in-2016-beyond.html to view the full article online.

Beginning in 2019, the new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), which is part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), will raise the focus on physician performance measurement to a new level.

Visit http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/mips-death-knell-small-practices to view the full article online.

On April 16, 2015, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 was signed into law, ending 18 years of last-minute "fixes" to the deeply flawed sustainable growth rate formula for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments.

Visit http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/6853-medicare-physician-payment-accelerating-the-speed-of-change to view the full article online.