Hospital Care and Social Media

  Arguments about the validity of Health 2.0 are moot. It is here!! Hundreds of thousands of patients and providers use the format in advocacy groups, using facebook, twitter, blogs, and search engines.  Is Google a health 2.0 app?   The following story is well worth the read   THOUGHTS ON MEDICINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA (Regina Holliday)   On Wednesday, May 27, 2009 I met Dr. Ted Eytan. I was invited to present a patient and caregiver view of hospitalization at a small health 2.0 meeting. I saw Powerpoint presentations with bar charts and graphs. I sat patiently taking notes about the state of ehealth and social media. At around 3:15 I spoke. I described the horror of my husband being diagnosed with cancer and...

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Obamism

We are hearing different reasons why we must pass this health reform bill.  1. There is a crisis and if we don't pass the bill, we will go bankrupt (things are unsustainable).  There are many hidden aspects to this bill, which is not being discussed in a transparent manner (which our esteemed President assured us.)"that things would be different in D.C. if he were elected" 2. If  the bill is passed costs will go up as well, including increases in premiums of a significant amount to cover the new insured,, who were previously uninsurable, or excluded to due pre-existing conditions. 3. Additional taxes will go into effect several  years before any benefits or changes will be made to coverage. "Quick, pass the bill before anyone can read it and really understand the profound...

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What's In A Name

THE PUBLIC OPTION  Let's think of some titles that will be more acceptable to the approximate 50% of voters who do not want a public option. 1. Alternative integrated universal choice for Health. 2..National Public Health, Inc. (NPH) 3.  United Stated Federal Health Reserve USFR) 4. Federal Health Insurance Bank (FHIB) 5. U.S. Health Stimulus Choice (also known as USHC certified) 6. Federal United Care Combine (also known as FUCC) (sounds like Fuc@) Or let's allow patients to 'Opt-out of the Public Option. This would be done on a state wide basis rather than as individuals. Depending on which state you live in.  This great idea comes from those two Senators Reid and Pelosi who must smoke something for breakfast that is grown in the fields of either Afghanistan or Northern...

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Who's in Charge, Anyway??

Physicians no longer feel in charge for many things that occur during their daily clinical work. During our training years we are carefully monitored and have mentors who we can look to for advice, guidance and in some cases, even wisdom...For those in 'private practice' in a solo or small group practice 'autonomy' becomes a real issue, and blending this with the reality of patient care, risk, and medical politics becomes a narrow balance beam for most of us. Health reform measures are a reflection of a conundrum. Will we be reformed from within, or without??   It is a mess.  Even the informed, educated and well read can make little sense or aggregate the impact of the legislation presently being debated in congress. Driven...

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The Real Deal

  It Is obvious how the world of blogging.has displaced the coffee room and the water cooler as sources of inside information. In fact, blog sources are frequently the first place that relevant information appears. In addition to classical newspaper and Journal sources these entities have their own blog section. Add to this, facebook, twitter, digg, my space and others yet to be determined the relationships become infinite. Take for example, this posting on ‘Dr Wes’ blog: On Dec. 3 the U.S. Senate voted to keep significant Medicare cuts in the health-care overhaul bill despite polls showing seniors are concerned about their benefits. Senators voted 50 to 42 to reject an amendment by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. that would have stripped...

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A Fairy Tale

Bricks, Straw, or ?    This is an interesting metaphor, and it may apply well to the  current health debate. Too big to fail? Health care reform, or Dubai? Obama's 'glow" is diminishing, even amongst the 'faithful, and gullible. Matt Holt and THCB quote" There’s a big to-do about whether there are really any cost-saving measures in the House and Senate bill. Most people say that the answers are “no” and “sort of”. But let’s not dwell on that. Instead let’s have some fun. Regular THCB readers will know that AHIP’s Karen Ignagni has told half-truth after half-truth after outright lie to protect the position of her members. All the while somehow holding together a coalition that really should have broken apart long...

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More Docs4Patient Care

Another rally....get involved, patients and providers alike. Forward the link-  Go Viral:...

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Meaningful Use and Incentive Payments

In one of my previous posts I alluded to this.   Read it here first !!   RECENT COMMENTS FROM IHEALTHBEAT. MGMA Letter Details Concerns About Health IT Stimulus Funds On Sunday, the Medical Group Management Association sent a letter to National Coordinator for Health IT David Blumenthal detailing its concerns about the implementation of the federal economic stimulus package's health IT incentive program, Modern Healthcare reports. Under the stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate "meaningful use" of electronic health records will qualify for increased federal incentive payments (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 11/23). In the letter, MGMA argues that health care providers could miss out on the stimulus funds if...

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Docs4Patient Care

I've been gone for a week or so on a trip to the ancestral homeland in California. (ancestral in California means longer than five years ago.) The Docs4Patient Care movment will be very active on November 21, 2009 with chapters now in many states, including Georgia, California, Texas, as well as many other videos. Here is a 'shout out' for recent activities. Here is a brief video: ...

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Failed California, Failed State,Failed Health Care Reform

Undoubtedly we will see some form of compromise and legislating 'Health Care Reform".  Whether it will truly be a health care reform will be open to debate. Let's face, it seeking perfection is anathema to seeking improvement. Never let perfection obstruct improvement in the status quo. Charlie Rose interviews Friedman.     NRO, National Review Online report from Grace-Marie-Turner reflects the following. Further, endorsements by the AARP and the American Medical Association have been largely discredited as reflecting more the narrow interest of those organizations than the will of their members. Readers should do their part by contacting the following representatives who are most likely to influence health reform...

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Sunday Morning Bonus

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Corruption in American Health Care

Saving Health Care, Saving America as written  By BRIAN KLEPPER, DAVID C. KIBBE, ROBERT LASZEWSKI and ALAIN ENTHOVEN in The Health Care Blog "So far, Congress' response to the health care crisis has been alarmingly disappointing in three ways. First, by willingly accepting enormous sums from health care special interests, our representatives have obligated themselves to their benefactors' interests rather than to those of the American people. More than 3,330 health care lobbyists - six for every member of Congress - contributed more than one-quarter of a billion dollars in the first and second quarters of 2009. A nearly equal amount has been contributed on this issue from non-health care organizations. This exchange of money prompted...

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The Public Option

The AHIP  Singers Thanks to The Health Care Blog for publishing this musical dedicated to the public option (not).   This is much more fun and better sung than traditional protests! That is my humor for today.  The following story is well worth the read...

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The Mike Gallagher Show....watch out Hannity

I just had to include this as a blog post...   Hal Scherz is just one of the many willing to  get down and invest his own capital in growing our grass roots efforts to influence health reform.  This is one of those things our organizations just cannot do as well.  Your interest,contributions and participation are essential. As Dr Scherz states: ""I know how much everyone enjoys opening my TNTC emails (LOL) and I'm sure that you must have wondered where I disappeared to. I was down most of this week with what I'm convinced was H1N1, although the ER wouldn't test me. (A taste of what we have to look forward to under Obamacare). Now that I'm strong enough to sit up, I can start bothering everyone again. If you had any...

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The Arrow through Your Head

I have taken a break from health reform politicking to return to some essentials about health IT. ” The definition of a pioneer is “the guy with the arrow through his head.” This was just one of the 'takeaways" at a recent seminar hosted in San Diego regarding the IT stimulus money train.   The feds have not defined “meaningful user” or “certified” yet; they are key requirements of the plan. MEANINGFUL USER IS IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER. ONLY PART OF THE DEFINITION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, AND NOT BY THE USERS THEMSELVES....TIME WILL TELL WHICH AND WHAT IS MEANINGFUL AND IT MAY TURN OUT THAT MEANINFUL (DEFINITION) WILL CHANGE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. ARE WE GOING TO BE CAST INTO A USELESS MOLD? Financial incentives,...

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Medical BlogWorld New Media Expo

If you missed it, here it is. Excerpts from Las Vegas and the Blog World New Media Expo. I regret not being able to be there. ...

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Prudent Buyers-not another insurance company

from: iHealthbeat   Quote of the Day: Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings. --C. Archie Danielson MGMA: Many Physician Groups Not Yet Ready To Invest in EHRs Many physician group practices are likely to delay electronic health record adoption because of logistical and financial concerns, experts said this week at the Medical Group Management Association's annual convention, Healthcare IT News reports. MGMA represents 22,500 medical group administrators and managers from across the country. Robert Tennant, senior policy adviser for MGMA, said most of the physician practices MGMA represents will not qualify by 2011 for incentive payments under the federal economic stimulus package. Under the stimulus package,...

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Care---DENIED!!!

Quote of the Day: An argument is the longest distance between two points of view. --Dan Bennett Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed AB 2 over the weekend, rejecting legislation that would put a stop to the insurance industry's outrageous practice of wrongfully canceling patients' coverage once they get very sick and run up large medical bills, the Los Angeles Times and other major papers report. Sponsored by the California Medical Association, AB 2 called for an independent review of decisions by insurers to rescind coverage. The insurance industry's widespread abuse of the practice has drawn condemnation from Republicans and Democrats alike. In June, a congressional investigation found that three insurers had rescinded...

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AMERICAN HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS

A.H.I.P. for short, dropped a last minute 'bomb'. This it !    A.H.I.P. chose to announce their disfavor on a Monday morning, which also happens to be a Federal Holiday.  It also came just after the latest media news cycle closed.  Scouring my blog list I did not see any mention of this perfidity of the AHIP. I seem to remember several months ago how the head of Wellpoint announced how they were cooperating with the reform plans.  What happened?  Perhaps they don't like the idea of offering coverage to the uninsured, the sick and ill, and whoever else they can't make a buck off of. Deep in the recesses of their accounting departments they have now estimated that the reform measures proposed by the Senate Finance Committee would increase a family's premiums...

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Reconciliation- Health Reform

Walt Whitman writing during the civil war penned this poem about irreconciliable differences, and how they can lead to destruction.  (This puts in proper perspective the current tone of health  politic) Reconciliation By Walt Whitman 1819-1892 Word over all, beautiful as the sky, Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must in time be utterly lost, That the hands of the sisters Death and Night incessantly softly wash again, and ever again, this solid world; For my enemy is dead, a man divine as myself is dead, I look where he lies white-faced and still in the coffin--I draw near, Bend down and touch lightly with my lips the white face in the coffin.   del.icio.us Tags: health train,walt...

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Contact your Representatives

  Keep an eye out for a link to Healthtrain's new audio blogcast, soon to be replaced with a video blogcast. I hope you have all been busy writing to your representatives about your opinon on health reform.  Reading the media makes one question the accurateness of what is being reported. The Secret Meetings The Imperial Senate Voting for Healthcare Reform before voting against it. America's Health Future Act  Read this important document. And after reading it see:  Grassfire.org   There are several web sites to help you contact your senator and/or congressman, and others who are key players in health  reform....

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Health 2.0 Conference ver 3.0

I wanted to take a brief moment before I dash off to Health 1.0. Today marks the beginning of Health 2.0 in San Francisco. For t hose you who don't know what this is I refer you to Health2.0 Some interesting observations by Matthew Holt of  The HealthCare Blog. What is Health 1.0 ?  It's the mess you are going to face in your office today, doctor.  I don't have to elaborate on it here. I hope you have a good day. Meanwhile on capitol hill, things seem to have quieted down. The polls show a definite shift toward the Obama Plan (whatever that is)....The devil is in the details.  With the  recent outcry in August,  hopefully our elected representatives are reading the bill and having attorneys interpret congressional...

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Rose Garden at the White House

It’s Monday morning at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (The White House). President Obama has invited physician leaders to attend a meeting today regarding healthcare reform. So, what is the agenda? There may be a hint of what will take place in an article in Medpage Today, describing Mr. Obama’s vision for health reform in America. Here are President  Obama's  takeaway points: "I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I have talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs. So I am proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine. I know the Bush administration considered authorizing...

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Docs 4 Patient Care

The rest of the story.....October 1 has come and gone. The group had another successful day barnstorming the capitol building. Hal, Scott and Todd as well as many other members of Docs4Patient Care started  their own filibuster and nearly shut down several senator's and other congressional offices.  I spoke with Senator Joe Lieberman's office and they too were being 'lobbied' by our group as well as many other individual physicians. The alliance of providers and patient advocacy is a powerful platform for patients and physicians. Docs4PATIENTCARE.ORG  ...

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202-456-1414

"Some of you may recognized this telephone number", states Congressman Tom Price MD R-                         . "It' the White  House" Here is what he is asking us to do: 1. CALL THE WHITE HOUSE ON MONDAY! The President is meeting with a hand picked group of docs who agree with him. He needs to hear from doctors in the community who disagree with him.  CALL ON MONDAY TO:  202-456-1414 2. Encourage your Physician Colleagues to do the same. Forward this email to: your medical associations, post the phone number of doctor dining room, bulletin boards and talk to your colleagues in the corridor. 3. ENCOURAGE YOUR PATIENTS TO CALL THE WHITE...

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The Accelerator, or What's new in HIT

Advancing consumer-centric health care by driving integration of technology and the consumer experience across a network of new and established technology companies and health care organizations. Quite a mouthful, what is this all about? Health 2.0 Accelerator Big words, bigger hopes, or just more smoke and mirrors? Perhaps fueled by Stimulus funds........

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Free HICO scores online !!

What do credit card blogs have to do with health insurance? Read on at  Credit card forum (the blog) Perhaps one of the new regulations in health reform will be a HICO score that parallels your FICO score.  Or perhaps we need a 'truth in health insurance "  law that parallels the 'truth in lending " law. Check your HICO score monthly , clean up your health  ! Sick people, need not apply!...

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Million Med March October 1, 2009

Docs 4 PATIENT CARE Ok everyone, we are on the eve of our second big trip to Washington. It will never be perfect, but as good as it was for everyone last time, I expect that this one will be even better, because we learned a lot from last time and we'll be a bit more organized, I hope. Enclosed are suggested talking points. Remember, they are SUGGESTED talking points. You can add your own to the list if you think that there is something missing. Please don't ask us to redo this with your point that we left out. 20 doctors can come up with 21 different talking point lists. This list encompasses 95% of the things that we all seem to agree about. We have some appointments set up. The Congressmen and Senators know about us and word has gotten...

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Million Med March

   Put this on your schedule:  October 1, 2009 in Washington, D.C. An Interview with Hal Scherz, MD a Pediatric Urologist. Hal Scherz practices in Atlanta, Georgia.. Hal has taken the bold step of forming a grass roots organization to link individual physicians and groups with patient advocacy groups to visit congressional representatives (U.S. Sentate, and House of Representatives) during the Health Reform debate and afterward. The organization is ‘DOCS4PATIENTCARE.ORG ‘. The organization also goes by the same name. Health Train: Hal, tell me about docs4patientcare . Dr. Scherz: I decided to form a group that would go to Washington DC for the   "White Coats to Congress Rally "   during the initial...

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More 'free' Things..

Health IT continues to be in the limelight of health reform. And there is a great deal of scrambling to obtain a share of the stimulus IT funding passed by congress this year. Two cardiologists from Johns Hopkins University , David Meyerson and Sammy Zakira elaborate in the Washington Post a typical frustrating encounter for the majority of physicians who are confronted by a seriously ill patient and an unobtainable coherent medical history. Both of these physicians attend patients at the VA Hospitals in Baltimore, MD. They write, "Most currently available electronic medical record software is unwieldy and difficult to quickly access, and there is still no vehicle for the timely exchange of critical medical data between providers and facilities." The cardiologists note that the federal...

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He's Back

  Most of us realize that our government in D.C. has been out of control for over a decade (perhaps much longer). According to this interview with Pete Stark, Congressman from California it makes sense that the more debt the government has, the wealthier the country is.     I am not certain of the rationale of this statement but perhaps it alludes to the ability of our government to borrow money reflects upon our income, ability and willingness to make payments on that debt.  In October 2008 we came to an abrupt ending to that rhetoric.  The past 12 months are a witness to the failure of that economic model .  We shall call that "Pete Stark Economics".  Perhaps in 30 years or so Mr. Stark will be the Nobel Prize winner in Economics.  However I...

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The Uninsured Patient

One of the greatest frustrations for any physician in the U.S. is the "uninsured patient".  Coming face to face with one of the 'forgotten' patients can ruin an entire day of work. Knowing how to help a patient and being totally powerless to do so ranks right up there with an announced audit from the IRS and/or a letter from a plaintiff's attorney that you are about to get your a-- sued. In fact what has evolved in most practice offices is a highly refined  filtering mechanism to keep these patients away from you, the physician.  This vicious and exclusionary process developed without any forethought as a means to insure the financial survival of our present health system.  It flies in the face of what  physicians are really all about....caring for people. In order...

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THE MILLION MED MARCH

  JOIN THE MARCH!!!     "I'm tired, mad as hell, and just not going to take it anymore," says Richard Chudacoff, MD, a gynecologist from Las Vegas. "I am going to Washington, DC. At noon, on Thursday, October 1, 2009, I will be on the Mall with a few other physicians." How many times have YOU thought or even muttered this under your breath?? "We simply decided that we will not work that day and perhaps the day before and maybe even the day afterward," says Dr. Chudacoff. "Perhaps we will show the country that physicians are worth more than a $5 copay; that physicians are more important than a mid-level healthcare worker; and that our profession is needed, our services are required, and our practice is a calling to...

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