TPP Critics Fear Higher Drug Prices

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a proposed free-trade treaty between 12 countries throughout the Asia Pacific including the US and Canada. Respective governments have worked hard to push through legislation approving the new treaty. As deadlines approach more and more criticism and opposition has emerged over the proposed regulations. Critics fear that the new agreement …

FBI Arrest 243 Healthcare Professional and workers with Medicare Fraud

243 individuals —- including medical professional such as doctors, nurses, and others–were arrested for their alleged involvement in Medicare fraud schemes totalling approximately $712 million in false billings. The arrests were a coordinated operation in 17 cities by Medicare Fraud Strike Force teams, which include personnel from the FBI, the Department of Health and Human …

House GOP Aim to Balance Budget in 10 years with Medicare Reforms

House Republicans are proposing major changes to Medicare and Medicaid as a part of a blueprint to balance the budget within 10 years. The proposal depends on repealing the Obamacare, including financial assistance for low- and middle-income individuals, and the taxes implemented to help pay for coverage expansion programs. The budget calls for shifting to …

Joint Commission Change Standards for diagnostic imaging services

The Joint Commission announced changes to its standards for accredited hospitals, critical access hospitals, and ambulatory health care organizations that provide diagnostic imaging services, including ambulatory organizations that have achieved Advanced Diagnostic Imaging certification. The changes will be effective July 1, 2014 with additional requirements to be phased in by 2015.

Classic Surgeon, Leaving a Sponge Behind

The Joint Commission issued a Sentinel Event Alert urging health centers to re-assess policy and practice to avoid mistakenly leaving items in a patient’s body after surgery. Yes, it happens more often than you’d expect, even with the high level of proficiency and # of eyes on the patient, unintended retention of foreign objects (URFOs) …

The expanding need for tech savvy healthcare professionals

Healthcare centers are no longer simple organizations that housed a doctor a few nurses. For one of the largest industries in the country, hospitals to clinics comprise of more than just healthcare professionals, but rather a wide breadth of skills necessary to run what is essentially a profit maximizing firm. Whether we like it or …