APMA News Brief

Are free annual checkups for adults good public policy? Not according to Al Lewis, co-author of Cracking Health Costs and Vik Khanna, Lewis’s Surviving Workplace Wellness co-author. Click here to continue reading.

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

One of our hospital clients has a sign above his desk reading "Hope is not a plan." While this would apply to any IT project, nowhere is this aphorism more true than in ICD-10 testing.

Visit http://icd10monitor.com/enews/item/1366-icd-10-testing-because-hope-is-not-a-plan to view the full article online.

The rule implements Section 1128J(d)(2) of the Affordable Care Act, which requires hospitals and providers to report and refund overpayments within 60 days from the date the overpayment is identified or the date the corresponding cost report is due.

Visit http://www.natlawreview.com/article/cms-delays-60-day-overpayment-final-rule-centers-medicare-and-medicaid-services to view the full article online.

When people have health questions, many turn to the Internet, and Google in particular, as the first stop for finding health information. Now, when users ask Google about common health conditions, they will get relevant medical facts up front.

Visit http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php/news/health-news/1593-mayo-clinic-supports-google-effort-to-provide-quick-accurate-health-information.html to view the full article online.

Today 59 percent of people over the age of 65 are online, but they often reject using the Web for their health care, opting for more traditional face-to-face or over the phone "low technology" interactions with their providers.

Visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/athan-bezaitis/a-new-strategy-to-narrow-health-disparities-humanizing-ehealth_b_6655928.html to view the full article online.

The Affordable Care Act's second open enrollment came to a close on Sunday, and with enrollment topping 7.5 million people in the federal exchange alone, we asked three Motley Fool healthcare experts to offer up their key takeaways from Obamacare's second go-around.

Visit http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/02/17/3-takeaways-from-obamacares-second-year-of-open-en.aspx to view the full article online.

Like many men, Cristo Foufas assumed that gout only afflicted those who overindulge on the finer things in life – until he was diagnosed himself.

Visit http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/mens-health/11369862/You-dont-have-to-live-like-Henry-VIII-to-suffer-from-gout.html to view the full article online.

Fungus of the nail, while virtually painless, can often stick out like a sore thumb. Embarrassing discoloration isn’t the only downside of fungus -- if left untreated, that fungus can spread and destroy the nail. Click here for more information.

Editor’s note: Share APMA’s toenail fungus information with your patients.

New survey data from digital health agency Klick Health shows that diabetes patients who use digital tools to manage their health also feel healthier.

Visit http://mobihealthnews.com/40600/survey-diabetes-patients-who-use-digital-tools-self-report-better-health/ to view the full article online.

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), along with several of his colleagues, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell asking the agency to grant individuals who were uninsured in 2014 and subject to the individual responsibility payment another opportunity to enroll in 2015 coverage under the Affordable Care Act. 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.

If you have not yet endured an electronic patient data theft, you most likely will experience one before too long, experts warn. They say the transition to electronic health records (EHRs) has not been accompanied by adequate safeguards, and they are calling on physicians to do more to protect patient data.

Visit http://www.gastroendonews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?d=In%2Bthe%2BNews&d_id=187&i=February+2015&i_id=1147&a_id=29382 to view the full article online.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Monday that consumers who were unable to complete their enrollment in health insurance through the federally facilitated marketplace, www.healthcare.gov, in the days leading up to the Feb. 15 deadline will be provided with a time-limited special enrollment period for March 1 coverage.

Visit http://www.dailypress.com/health/health-notes-blog/dp-health-notes-aca-20150216-story.html to view the full article online.

When it comes to having claims denied, consumers who buy insurance on the Affordable Care Act's online marketplace have to be savvy.

Visit http://news.mpbn.net/post/denied-insurance-claim-consumers-get-federal-help-under-aca to view the full article online.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is looking to get the word out to eligible hospitals not yet participating in the Medicare EHR Incentive Program about approaching deadlines for receiving EHR incentive payments.

Visit https://ehrintelligence.com/2015/02/12/cms-reminds-hospital-of-deadline-for-ehr-incentive-payments/ to view the full article online.

During the most recent meeting of the Health IT Policy Committee, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided financial figures for both meaningful use penalties and incentives.

Visit https://ehrintelligence.com/2015/02/12/cms-provides-meaningful-use-penalties-payments-update/ to view the full article online.

Despite the majority of experts testifying in Washington last week that most healthcare providers are ready for new ICD-10 coding to take effect on Oct. 1, a fair number who answered our poll said they'd back another delay if Congress decides to push back ICD-10 again. 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.

A team of researchers has unveiled a bidirectional ICD-9 and ICD-10 mapping tool which it claims will enable healthcare organizations, providers, researchers, and other professionals to compare diseases during the upcoming ICD-10 transition.

Visit https://ehrintelligence.com/2015/02/16/researchers-unveil-bidirectional-icd-9-to-icd-10-mapping-tool/ to view the full article online.

Five years after the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), a.k.a. Obamacare, many employers continue to struggle with its mandate and consequences.

Visit http://www.areadevelopment.com/labor-costs/Q1-2015/manufacturers-evaluate-Affordable-Care-Act-costs-272726.shtml to view the full article online.