APMA News Brief

As the newly-appointed ICD-10 ombudsman, William Rogers, M.D., is the internal advocate within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services charged with investigating and addressing stakeholder complaints and problems they might encounter starting October 1 — the compliance deadline for the new code set.

Visit http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/ICD-10-Ombudsman-Transition-will-be-Rocky-Couple-of-Months-51262-1.html to view the full article online.

Both the stabilization of Medicare Advantage premiums and improved accessibility of top-notch care plans are on the healthcare horizon, says the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in Tuesday's announcement.

Visit http://revcycleintelligence.com/news/will-medicare-advantage-plan-enrollment-set-record-highs to view the full article online.

Forget "repeal and replace." An obscure Obamacare provision that takes effect in 2017 could empower a Republican president to unravel Obamacare — without a single vote from Congress.

Visit http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/obamacare-republicans-kill-waivers-213902 to view the full article online.

According to a joint survey by the American Association of Physician Leadership and the Navigant Center for Healthcare Research and Policy Analysis, 69 percent of physician leaders say doctors should be held accountable for costs of care, in addition to quality of care.

Visit http://www.hcplive.com/physicians-money-digest/practice-management/physician-leader-survey-highlights-importance-of-accountability to view the full article online.

Beyond the obvious training and work flow challenges associated with the change, a whole host of challenges will arise as ICD-10 becomes the new reality. Here are four of them.

Visit http://managedhealthcareexecutive.modernmedicine.com/managed-healthcare-executive/news/post-implementation-icd-10-challenges to view the full article online.

A new study shows non-smokers carry higher chances of having Type 2 diabetes compared to people who have never smoked or inhaled tobacco. Findings reveal that active or chain smokers are 37 percent more likely to develop the same illness.

Visit http://www.techtimes.com/articles/86017/20150919/passive-smoking-increases-diabetes-risks-by-22-percent-how-to-reduce-exposure-to-secondhand-smoke.htm to view the full article online.

Individuals with a high BMI who consumed high amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages were more likely to have higher serum urate levels compared to individuals who consumed fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, regardless of BMI, according to the results of a recently published study.

Visit http://www.healio.com/rheumatology/gout/news/online/%7Bba2d1c9b-5d57-425a-a8f4-767f6e6ec7c3%7D/high-bmi-sugar-sweetened-beverage-consumption-linked-to-higher-risk-for-gout to view the full article online.

As parents transition back to the regular routines of fall with school and sports, the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons offers practical tips to help parents know what their children's feet are telling them.

Visit http://www.news-medical.net/news/20150923/Practical-tips-to-help-parents-spot-childrens-foot-problems.aspx to view the full article online.

The foot. It's more than just the anchor of your body, motor of your mobility, modeler of high fashion and occasional object of sensual fetish. To hear it described by Dr. Richard
Rosen, chief of podiatry at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, it's more like a giant slingshot.

Visit http://www.northjersey.com/news/health-news/feet-often-fall-victim-to-active-lifestyles-1.1415865 to view the full article online.

Last week, researchers released the full results for a trial of empagliflozin (Jardiance), a sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) for treating type 2 diabetes. The results are 'astounding,' but what do they mean?

Visit http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Diabetes/53698 to view the full article online.

A typical American turning 65 this year is in line to receive about $500,000 in lifetime Social Security and Medicare benefits. That's more than $1 million for older couples. But many still won't have enough money to pay for out-of-pocket medical care and long-term supports and services.

Visit http://onforb.es/1QvOvZm to view the full article online.

Hillary Clinton announced a plan Wednesday to reduce Americans' annual health care costs by building on Obamacare and expanding on its goals.

Visit http://time.com/4046251/hillary-clinton-obamacare-health-care/ to view the full article online.

It may not seem like much — just an extra hundred dollars or so a year. But the steady upward creep in health insurance deductibles has easily outpaced the average increase in a worker's wages over the last five years, according to a new analysis released on Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/23/business/health-insurance-deductibles-outpacing-wage-increases-study-finds.html to view the full article online.

As talk of delays, coding confusions, claims disruptions, and the like continuously reverberate around the health care industry, the ICD-10 clock nonetheless ticks onward.

Visit http://revcycleintelligence.com/news/3-more-icd-10-implementation-tips-from-healthcare-experts to view the full article online.

Bad reviews are bad for business, and prospective patients know where to look when researching their next health care need. Here's how to leverage review sites to improve patient experience.

Visit https://www.ama.org/publications/eNewsletters/MHSNewsletter/Pages/5-ways-to-improve-your-online-reputation.aspx to view the full article online.