Medicare Legislation Includes Provisions for Care and Prevention of Chronic Illnesses
In addition to blocking the impending payment cuts and providing a positive update for 2008 and 2009, the Medicare improvements for Patients and Providers Act—enacted July 15—included other provisions that will directly impact the care of patients with diabetes...
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Institutes and Centers Receive Supplemental Funds
As a result of language in the war supplemental spending bill, which allocates an additional $150 million to NIH for FY2008 each of the Institutes and Centers at NIH received an increase of 0.5% of its previous FY2008 funding level.Buildings and Facilities and the Office of the Director...
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GAO Encourages Prior Authorization for Imaging
In a report released last month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended requiring prior authorization to curb the rapid growth of imaging procedures under Medicare Part B. The report was conducted at the request of Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)...
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Society Concerned about Proposed Shift to ICD-10 in 2011
Late last week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a proposal to replace the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes with the ICD-10 code sets, effective October 1, 2011...
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New Law Bans Some Phthalates, Calls for Safety Study of Others
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, a large bill reauthorizing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), contains a provision prohibiting the sale of certain products containing phthalates. The provision was not included in the original bill but was added during...
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