APMA News Brief

In a midterm election with many implications for healthcare, Republicans pulled off their expected takeover of the Senate, which they hope will enable them to rewrite the Affordable Care Act (ACA), even if they can't repeal it outright. 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.

Senate Intelligence Committee leadership expressed the need to pass cybersecurity legislation before Congress adjourns in December.

Visit http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/article/washington-debrief-senate-leaders-say-cybersecurity-legislation-must-pass-year to view the full article online.

Among the many ideas that have been tossed around for decades on how to bring down health care spending, none may be as well known as malpractice reform. Many people believe that it’s the key to removing waste from the health care system and making the practice of medicine better. But a growing body of evidence shows that belief is most likely mistaken.

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/04/upshot/malpractice-reform-wont-do-much-to-reduce-health-spending.html?abt=0002&abg=1 to view the full article online.

The commission, which created health IT certification in 2004, announced in January that it was exiting the certification business, ostensibly to "return it to its founding public mission of supporting the adoption of robust, interoperable health information technology."

Visit http://www.forbes.com/sites/neilversel/2014/10/29/cchit-demise-should-herald-demise-of-ehr-certification/ to view the full article online.

The Affordable Care Act will increase costs to business, according to executives at three Licking County companies.

Visit http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/money/business/2014/11/01/business-execs-health-care-costs-will-increase/17758785/ to view the full article online.

Diabetes can affect all genders and ages; however, women with diabetes especially need to know how the disease can impact certain issues related to women’s health. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Take advantage of APMA’s free diabetes awareness campaign materials at APMA.org.

The modern health-device craze started with pedometers that simply tracked the number of steps you took in a day. Now there are hundreds of gadgets that you can slap on your wrist or tuck into your pocket.

Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/consumer-devices-can-help-monitor-such-conditions-as-hypertension-and-diabetes/2014/11/03/e2f34c70-2318-11e4-958c-268a320a60ce_story.html to view the full article online.

Weight loss surgery can dramatically reduce the odds of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a major study. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: Studies prove care by a podiatrist helps prevent diabetes complications and saves healthcare dollars.

If left untreated, ingrowing toenails can become infected and the infection can spread to the toe and rest of the foot.

Visit http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Coping-with-ingrowing-toenails_17820841 to view the full article online.

It’s estimated that one in three Americans have a condition called pre-diabetes, that means the person is showing symptoms of diabetes, but doesn’t officially have the disease. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: Recommend APMA Seal products to your patients.

Whether you’re dealing with a new diagnosis or just looking to take control of your condition, proper management is key to dealing with diabetes.

Visit http://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2014/10/103014_tracker-blood-glucose.php to view the full article online.

Heel pain is by far the most common foot problem in adults, especially females, says podiatrist Christian Ellul. He takes a look at the various causes and possible treatments. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Order plantar warts brochures for your practice at APMA’s secure e-Store.

We all know about the adverse effects of candy on our teeth. But I bet you’ve never thought about candy’s affect on our feet. Yes, that’s right, our feet!

Visit http://www.kyforward.com/foot-health-candy-may-satisfy-your-sweet-tooth-but-your-toes-may-one-day-pay-the-price/ to view the full article online.

Republicans scored big wins in yesterday's midterm elections, and today's headlines are full of analysis of what those victories mean for the future of the Affordable Care Act.

Visit http://www.fiercehealthpayer.com/story/what-do-republican-election-wins-mean-healthcare-reform/2014-11-05 to view the full article online.

U.S. hospital operators Tenet Healthcare Corp and Community Health Systems Inc. said their third quarter results were helped by the effects of President Barack Obama's healthcare law.

Visit http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/04/us-hospitals-results-idUSKBN0IO03X20141104 to view the full article online.

Congress’s surprise delay of the implementation deadline has created extraordinary damage, creating major setbacks for many ICD-10 projects and generating strong skepticism about the genuineness of the new deadline among many providers.

Visit http://icd10monitor.com/enews/item/1304-icd-10-how-to-engage-the-weary-and-wary-physician to view the full article online.

Competition for the biggest waste of time in Washington is fierce, but certainly the annual "doc fix" exercise deserves to be in the running.

Visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hadley-heath/medicare-reform-scrap-the_b_6077244.html to view the full article online.

National campaign Oct. 27–31 in cities nationwide. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: Studies prove care by a podiatrist helps prevent diabetes complications and saves healthcare dollars.

CMS recently launched a program that just might help family physicians and other health care professionals in rural and other medically underserved communities across America take better care of their patients.

Visit http://www.aafp.org/news/government-medicine/20141104acoinvestmodel.html to view the full article online.

Despite a Congress-mandated fourth delay of the implementation deadline, ICD-10 preparations continue, though the effect on organizations varies. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: APMA’s ICD-10 Resources will help you prepare for the transition to happen Oct. 1, 2015.

The Obama administration plans to close a loophole in the Affordable Care Act that allows large companies to refuse to cover in-patient hospital stays in any of their health insurance plans, according to an official involved in the internal discussions.

Visit http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/03/obamacare-aca-loopholes-hospital-coverage/18073573/ to view the full article online.

When Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital failed to diagnose the first known case of Ebola in the U.S., the hospital initially blamed its electronic health record (EHR). As it turned out, the problem was the humanware, not the software. Click here to continue reading.

Editor’s note: Review APMA’s EHR resources for more information on purchasing an EHR system.

At the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives' 2014 Fall CIO Forum this week, stakeholders said the policy agenda for health care CIOs is focused around meaningful use, cybersecurity, ICD-10 and patient safety. Click here to continue reading.

Editor's note: Stay tuned for IT Consultant column "Unraveling  Meaningful Use" in the November/December issue of APMA News.