APMA News Brief

There are many different technologies out there, but few of them seem to take hold in the healthcare industry. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Don’t miss APMA’s Health IT resources on APMA.org.

Americans are getting fatter, and older. These converging trends are putting the USA on the path to an alarming health crisis: Nearly half of adults have either pre-diabetes or diabetes, raising their risk of heart attacks, blindness, amputations and cancer.

Visit http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/09/14/prediabetes-rising-diabetes-threatening-usa/15134489/ to view the full article online.

Supporters and advocates of the Affordable Care Act say they learned lessons from last year's sign-up effort, when they persuaded a few million uninsured people to buy coverage. They plan to incorporate those lessons into the marketing campaign for the next enrollment period, which begins in mid-November. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: Visit APMA's healthcare reform page for more resources and information on how the ACA affects the profession.

Changes in how medical diagnoses are coded under the latest international disease classification system – better known as the ICD-10 codes – may complicate the assessment of hospital safety, say researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Visit http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2014/09/15/254611.htm to view the full article online.

Developers of apps for mobile devices are asking a U.S. agency to clarify its rules for protecting patient health information to reflect the fast-evolving technology.

Visit http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/15/usa-healthcare-tech-idUSL1N0RG25I20140915 to view the full article online.

To put an end to these nasty pedi-problems, we’ve broken down common salon dangers and precautions to help prevent them.

Visit http://www.bustle.com/articles/39280-are-pedicures-dangerous-3-things-at-the-nail-salon-that-could-be-messing-with-your-toes to view the full article online.

Bad foot health habits can quickly add up to major problems. Below, experts discuss the most common bad habits, the consequences and ways to fix your feet so they carry you through your next 50 years.

Visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/14/foot-problems-_n_5791746.html to view the full article online.

Foot problems, at a remove, may seem like a relatively minor issue but they can have quite a severe impact on your life.

Visit http://www.independent.ie/life/health-wellbeing/health-features/doctors-orders-be-sure-to-put-your-best-foot-forward-30582479.html to view the full article online.

Need to re-shape your feet to fit those hot new shoes? Podiatric surgeons across the country are offering cosmetic foot surgery to do just that. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Read APMA’s position statement on cosmetic foot surgery.

More conservative measures may help decrease bunion symptoms and relieve pain. If you try them and they don't work, though, then it would be a good idea to talk with a foot surgeon about surgical options.

Visit http://www.sun-sentinel.com/health/fl-jjps-bunions-0917-20140915,0,3314600.story to view the full article online.

Here are observations in the area of shoes, the role of the foot in running, some common running-related problems and prevention strategies.

Visit http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/2014/09/16/sports-doctor-tips-feet-running/ to view the full article online.

Retirement isn’t cheap. Even though you’re no longer drawing a paycheck, you still must pay for housing, food, utilities, transportation and health care, to name just a few expenses.

Visit http://www.minutemannewscenter.com/articles/2014/09/16/westport/business/doc5418739b6e987276156264.txt to view the full article online.

Employers' move to high-deductible health plans and greater use of generic drugs and wellness programs are limiting increases in health care costs, with no sign that premiums will surge in the near future.

Visit http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20140914/NEWS03/309149974?tags=|307|67|74|342|257 to view the full article online.

There are two types of employer shared responsibility payments, also known as pay or play penalties, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Visit http://www.natlawreview.com/article/employer-shared-responsibility-payments-and-reporting-requirements-under-affordable- to view the full article online.

Today's healthcare landscape presents serious challenges and energizing new opportunities that, if properly addressed, provide the impetus for significantly advancing the overall health of our nation and optimal health outcomes for individuals.

Visit http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/20140915/PRINTEDITION/309119949 to view the full article online.

The Department of Health and Human Services has identified the key problems the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services need to address to ensure that states pay their fair share of the state-federal low income insurance program.

Visit http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2014/September/15/state-spending-on-medicaid-and-feeling-the-squeeze.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+topics%2Fhealthcosts+%28Kaiser+Health+News+-+Health+Costs%29 to view the full article online.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are tweaking the rules public exchange plan issuers have to follow when they feed plan data into the new federal health insurance risk-management programs.

Visit http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2014/09/15/cms-rules-on-exchange-plan-servers to view the full article online.

A wave of hospital mergers and acquisitions spreading across the U.S. has the health insurance industry attempting to stand in the way with legalese, Congressional lobbying and in the court of public opinion.

Visit http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2014/09/14/insurers-fight-hospital-mergers-as-obamacare-pushes-value-based-care/ to view the full article online.

Over the past 30 years, since institution of the DRG system for hospital reimbursement under the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS), hospitals would be marketed to by companies that had developed "the solution to all your problems" and would bring in experts to address maximizing Medicare reimbursement. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Don’t miss APMA’s ICD-10 Resources to help you prepare for the transition.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is looking to get the word out to first-year Medicare eligible professionals in the EHR Incentive Programs that an important deadline is fast approaching.

Visit http://ehrintelligence.com/2014/09/16/cms-reminds-1st-year-medicare-eps-of-2014-reporting-deadline/ to view the full article online.