APMA News Brief

The final rule on payment reform under MACRA may be weeks away, but providers are bracing for it as they mull two new payment tracks and await clarification on several key terms found in the legislation.

Visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/physician-leaders/physicians-stymied-macras-unknowns to view the full article online.

A new panel of physicians and health policy experts established by Congress aims to ensure that physicians' voices are heard on the issue of payment reform, and it's already facing a couple of problems.

Visit http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Medicare/56987 to view the full article online.

Most of us spend very little time thinking about our feet, and even less time actively taking care of them. Yet by age 50, the average American logs 75,000 miles on the pair, according to the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Visit http://www.montereyherald.com/article/NF/20160326/NEWS/160329996 to view the full article online.

Most people know the pain of a blister when trying out new hiking boots or going on long hiking excursions.

Visit http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/outdoors/ways-to-care-for-your-feet-while-hiking/article_19f5b14a-f211-11e5-b924-7b49739f7a5c.html to view the full article online.

The good news: Many diabetic foot ulcers can heal without any major interventions or amputation.

Visit http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-03-25/the-411-on-diabetic-foot-ulcers to view the full article online.

Many changes occur to the body throughout pregnancy and, as a result, women who are pregnant are more likely to be affected by certain foot conditions.

Visit http://www.news-medical.net/health/Foot-Conditions-and-Pregnancy.aspx to view the full article online.

Morton’s neuromas are small yet painful lumps that develop on the ball of the foot, typically between the third and fourth toes.

Visit http://www.kyforward.com/foot-health-feel-like-you-are-walking-on-a-pebble-you-just-might-have-a-mortons-neuroma/ to view the full article online.

With ICD-10 now a reality, overcoding can result in penalties, while undercoding can mean lost revenue. Here’s how to develop a comprehensive compliance strategy.

Visit http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/holistic-approach-icd-10-coding-compliance to view the full article online.

The effort to rid the nation’s healthcare system of waste and inefficiency faces a formidable foe: defensive medicine.

Visit http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/defensive-medicine-versus-value-based-care to view the full article online.

Physician burnout is on the rise, but providing an environment that boosts doctors’ sense of personal accomplishment and increases professional rewards could help them feel less emotionally exhausted and more energized about their daily work.

Visit http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/ama-wire/post/role-of-personal-accomplishment-physician-burnout to view the full article online.

The market for buying and/or selling medical practices is extremely active right now.

Visit http://www.hcplive.com/physicians-money-digest/columns/financial-health-check-up/03-2016/successful-strategies-when-selling-your-medical-practice to view the full article online.

There are times when physicians are slow to adopt new practices based on research, but that caution can be justified as sometimes the research from clinical trials doesn't pan out, according to a number of experts interviewed by MedPage Today.

Visit http://www.fiercepracticemanagement.com/story/some-physicians-take-wait-and-see-approach-new-research/2016-03-28 to view the full article online.

With the federal government and the healthcare industry as a whole focusing their efforts on adopting value-based care payment models that revolutionize medical care, it should come as no surprise that the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) released a report outlining how to connect healthcare payment to clinical care delivery.

Visit http://healthpayerintelligence.com/news/medicaid-challenges-with-value-based-care-payment-models to view the full article online.

Primary care physicians increasingly are assessed on patient outcomes even though many outcomes are determined largely by the patient, not the physician. But physicians sometimes struggle with motivating patients to make health-enhancing changes.

Visit http://www.aafp.org/news/practice-professional-issues/20160329motivationstudy.html to view the full article online.