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Issue Date: May 2010
Love It or Hate It, Health Reform Is Now Law
Virtually all Americans will be affected in some way with the enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which President Obama signed into law in March. Love it or hate it, it’s the law, and coming regulations will give us a better sense of how the legislation will affect all of us in the coming years.
Are There Lessons to Learn From Massachusetts’ Insurance Mandate?
Now that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is law, physicians nationwide are wondering what to expect. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned from Massachusetts, the one state that has a universal health insurance mandate.
Analysis Shows Effect on Physician Workforce
After health care reform became law in Massachusetts in 2006, the physician workforce shortage became more pronounced three years later, according to a report from the Massachusetts Medical Society (www.massmed.org). The 2009 Physician Workforce Study released in September showed that for the fourth consecutive year, the family and internal medicine specialties experienced personnel shortages and a high percentage of primary care practices were closed to new patients.
Report Predicts Health System Will Do More to Engage Patients
The next phase of improving the health care system will reflect a concerted effort to keep all Americans well and more actively engaged in managing their own health, according to a new report. The report, HealthCast: The customization of diagnosis, care and cure from the Health Research Institute at Price-waterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com), explains that the lesser known provisions of the health care reform law signed by President Obama in March increase emphasis on preventive care, positive health outcomes, coordination of care, and comparative effectiveness research. The law includes a focus on personalized medicine, paving the way for a new era of individualized care in a more patient-focused health system, the report says.
Health Reform Act Calls for Focus on Illness Prevention
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act calls for an increased focus on illness prevention and may provide an opportunity for physicians interested in the concierge model of care. Signed into law by President Obama on March 23, the act calls for all new group health plans and plans for individuals to cover preventive care services in full six months after the bill is enacted and includes many provisions aimed at disease prevention and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Doctor Owned Hospitals to Lose Funding Under Reform Legislation
Physician-owned hospitals were one of the losers in the health reform debate. The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act could result in the loss of 25,000 jobs in 37 states as a result of cuts in funding to these facilities, said Molly Sandvig, executive director of Physician Hospitals of America (www.physicianhospitals. org).
When to Treat Patients: Balancing Symptoms, Sodium Level, Risks, and Benefits
Treatment of patients with hyponatremia has been characterized as controversial for nearly 25 years (Semin Nephrol. 2009;29:282-299). Consensus has coalesced about certain aspects of management, but other areas remain unresolved, said Myron Miller, MD, professor of endocrinology and of geriatric medicine and gerontology, at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore.
Anticipating Risk of Hyponatremia in Vulnerable Patients
Certain types of patients are at higher risk for developing hyponatremia and certain circumstances raise the risk of hyponatremia. Physicians anticipating these situations can take action to reduce the likelihood of sodium decreasing and plan to monitor patients at risk closely, said Myron Miller, MD, professor of endocrinology and of geriatric medicine and gerontology, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, in Baltimore.
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