APMA News Brief
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September 17, 2015 In This Issue
National News
What PATIENTS Are Reading
National News
Roughly 17.7 million seniors and disabled Americans are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, and many more are expected to sign up for the private Medicare health plans when the annual enrollment period begins next month.



Editor’s note: To learn more about Medicare Advantage and podiatrists’ rights and responsibilities, read Chapter 10 of the APMA Private Insurance Resource Guide.
 
Congress is very unlikely to delay ICD-10 again this year, especially with the furor over the Nuclear Treaty and another potential government shut down on the horizon. Despite the apparent lack of readiness, it seems as if it actually will occur in a few weeks.



Editor’s note Be sure to register for the ICD-10 webinar on September 29 and get your questions answered.
 
A panel of experts and researchers have developed a new classification system for gout, the most common form of inflammatory arthritis. This new system standardizes the classification of this condition using a variety of evidence-based criteria.
 
If more people sign up for insurance, then medical personnel can get an earlier start on battling chronic conditions such as diabetes and high cholesterol.
 
A new report from the Center for Retirement Research, reveals that, unless there is a work-around, some people with Medicare will see almost a 50 percent increase in their Medicare Part B monthly premium. And, most people with Medicare will have less money to spend on non-health-related expenses.
 
Darco International, Inc.
Naylor Association Solutions
TLD Systems
Texas Podiatric Medical Association
Bizmatics, Inc.
What Patients are Reading
Let's give our feet a little more credit. Here's how they can alert you to serious issues like diabetes, thyroid disease, and heart disease before you can even get to the doctor's office.
 
Getting older doesn't have to mean getting diabetes, but it does mean your risk increases. The majority of Americans with Type 2 diabetes are over 60, and rates rise sharply with age.
 
Not content to go after credit card info, hackers are honing in on health care data, which is much more valuable.
 
If you are one of the many Dancing with the Stars fans out there who is anxiously awaiting the start of a new season, you may have
heard about reigning champion Rumer Willis' foot problems over the summer.
 
When Dominique Candelaria wakes up in the morning and tries to get out of bed, she says the pain in her left foot is like "walking on a hot coal." She's been enduring this pain for the last two years.
 
About one in 10 of us is victimized by plantar fasciitis, and it comes on strong during the boomer years.
 
The nation’s health care providers are under orders to start using a new system of medical codes to describe illnesses and injuries in more detail than ever before.



Editor’s note: Ready for ICD-10? Test Your Knowledge and check your answers on APMA.org.
 
Two proposed mergers involving four of the nation's biggest health insurers could reduce competition in an important industry.
 
A high-profile Medicare project pushing doctors and hospitals to join together to operate more efficiently has yet to save the government money. Nearly half of the groups' care was more costly than the government estimated it would be based on historical data, federal records show.



Editor’s note: Don’t miss APMA’s resources on ACOs.
 
During the open enrollment period for health insurance this fall, workers who get health coverage on the job may not see huge premium increases, significant hikes to deductibles or other out-of-pocket expenses. But there may be other less obvious changes that could make a real difference in coverage or costs, benefits consultants say.
 
Repealing Obamacare's individual mandate would save about $300 billion over the next decade while driving the nation's uninsured rate back up to 2013 levels, according to new federal budget estimates.
 
Many small physician practices aren't ready for ICD-10 yet, and, in some cases, it's because their vendors don't have ICD-10-ready services.
 
BNA Burz North America American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants Ortho-Dynamics Orthotic Laboratory PAL Health Technologies
 

 

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