APMA News Brief

National News

How New Medicare Payment System Intends to Help Small Practices

Draft regulations released last month outline sweeping changes to the Medicare payment system, and one of those eagerly anticipated changes is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) stated intent to ease physicians’ administrative burdens—including for those in small or rural practices.

Visit http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/ama-wire/post/new-medicare-payment-system-intends-small-practices to view the full article online.

New Reimbursement Plan May Eliminate Need For Stage 3

Physicians and other eligible professionals under the electronic health records meaningful use program were tasked to make significant investments in EHRs; in large part, they did under Stage 1.

Visit http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/new-reimbursement-plan-may-eliminate-need-for-stage-3 to view the full article online.

Keep Proposed MACRA Changes in Perspective

Worries over the consequences of value-based payment methodologies in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) obscure significant improvements the rule makes over the status quo, writes Bob Doherty, senior vice president of Government Affairs and Public Policy at the American College of Physicians, in an article published in MedPage Today.

Editor’s note: APMA is your source for MACRA resources.

Visit http://www.fiercepracticemanagement.com/story/keep-proposed-macra-changes-perspective/2016-05-23 to view the full article online.

3 Barriers Keeping Data from Improving Health Outcomes

Access to actionable, real-time data can create opportunities for physicians to improve the health of their patients, but the current environment often prevents physicians from being able to access and use that data.

Visit http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/ama-wire/post/3-barriers-keeping-data-improving-health-outcomes to view the full article online.

What Patients are Reading

Ten Timely Tips to Get Feet Ready for Spring

From slogging through snow, ice, and slush to being confined in heavy boots to fight the cold—if your feet could talk, what a tale of winter woe they might tell.

Visit http://www.villagerpublishing.com/79743/news/health/ to view the full article online.

Make Vacation Easy on Your Feet

Although rest and relaxation are the goals for most vacations, they usually involve a lot of walking and a lot of walking usually involves sore feet.

Visit http://kdhnews.com/harker_heights_herald/local/make-vacation-easy-on-your-feet/article_b231468e-1e0f-11e6-ade0-eb3c7cf78e8e.html to view the full article online.

Keep Your Tootsies Healthy With These Facts About Feet

Feet just might be one of the most underappreciated parts of the human body — unless they hurt or are being pedicured.

Visit http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/health-and-fitness/20160520-keep-your-tootsies-healthy-with-these-facts-about-feet.ece to view the full article online.

How To Prevent — & Treat — This Common Foot Problem

If you've managed to avoid the intense heel pain of plantar fasciitis, we're impressed.

Visit http://www.refinery29.com/what-is-plantar-fasciitis to view the full article online.

Why Flip Flops Are Bad For Your Feet

Summers may feel like the ideal season to sport comfortable, breezy flip flops but, sadly, experts have a contradictory opinion.

Editor’s note: Share APMA’s Flip Flops Gone Wild video with your patients.

Visit http://www.idiva.com/news-health/why-flip-flops-are-bad-for-your-feet/16052345 to view the full article online.

Anger Is Fraying The Doctor-Patient Relationship

Developing a plan for preventing and handling patient anger can help minimize disruptions, experts say, saving valuable time and maintaining relationships with patients.

Editor’s note: Have a practice management question? Find an answer on APMA.org.

Visit http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/anger-fraying-doctor-patient-relationship to view the full article online.

What Single-Payer Healthcare Would Mean to Doctors

Health insurance is again in the political spotlight as Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders promotes his version of single-payer that he calls "Medicare for all."

Visit http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/what-single-payer-healthcare-would-mean-doctors to view the full article online.

5 Things to Know About How Physicians Make Employment, Practice Decisions

As many as one in five providers plan to make a career change within the next year, and only 27 percent were able to say they are definitely not going to make a change, according to an annual survey from The Medicus Firm.

Editor’s note: Making a career move? The APMA Career Center can help.

Visit http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/5-things-to-know-about-how-physicians-make-employment-practice-decisions.html to view the full article online.

The 3 Financial Phases of Physicians

As a young medical student, you cannot wait to graduate and get to residency. A huge paycheck awaits.

Visit http://www.hcplive.com/physicians-money-digest/contributor/dave-denniston/2016/05/the-3-financial-phases-of-physicians to view the full article online.

Researchers Evaluate Physician Quality Reporting System

A 2015 survey that assesses the quality of patient care is more comprehensive than earlier iterations, but there is still room for improvement, according to a new study from Weill Cornell Medicine.

Editor’s note: See APMA’s PQRS and MU resources on APMA.org.

Visit http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2016/05/researchers-evaluate-physician-quality-reporting-system to view the full article online.

Different Types of Nail Fungus Treatment Medication

One of the biggest challenges of nail fungus treatment is that sometimes, even after treatment there is a severe risk of repeat infection.

Editor’s note: See antifungal products awarded APMA’s Seal of Acceptance/Approval.

Visit https://www.thesequitur.com/different-types-of-nail-fungus-treatment-medication-2370483/ to view the full article online.

American Podiatric Medical Association