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Obama Open To Using MedPAC To Set Medicare Payment Rates
As the administration searches for ways to pay for health care reform and restrain medical costs, President Obama suggested Wednesday that he would consider transferring the power to set Medicare reimbursement rates from Congress to the independent advisory agency known as MedPAC, MedPage Today reports. The move reflects legislation introduced by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., last month that would move MedPAC into the executive branch as "a regulatory board similar to the Federal Reserve ... The move would transfer the power to set reimbursement rates from Congress -- and perhaps the interest groups that lobby it -- to an agency that critics say is better equipped to make nuanced medical payment decisions" (Walker 3/09).

Ovarian Tumor Growth Slowed By Nanoparticle-Delivered 'Suicide' Genes
Nanoparticle delivery of diphtheria toxin-encoding DNA selectively expressed in ovarian cancer cells reduced the burden of ovarian tumors in mice, and researchers expect this therapy could be tested in humans within 18 to 24 months, according to a report in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
News of the day
Experts Call On Colleagues To Drive Optimal Care For All Post-Mi Patients In The UK
Today experts from the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society (PCCS) and HEART UK - the Cholesterol Charity, are calling upon primary care clinicians to embrace new guidance designed to support optimal care and treatment of post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. Published in the latest issue of the British Journal of Cardiology, the guidance is unique as it is aligned to both patients and primary care, thereby recognising the vital role of empowering patients and their families in achieving the best possible clinical outcomes.2
Medical Devices

Patient Notes - Clarity For Insurers And Doctors

Doctors will have greater clarity around releasing a patient"s full medical notes to insurance companies after the Privacy Commissioner concluded that the law allows insurers to collect only the information that they need to make insurance decisions. The Privacy Commissioner received a request from the New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) to look into insurers" requests for full patient notes. The Commissioner concluded that insurance companies can only ask for patient notes that are of direct relevance to their decision to insure a person or to pay on a claim. "Medical practitioners should expect that the first request from an insurer will be of a more limited nature, such as questions about specific conditions," says NZMA GP Chair Dr Mark Peterson. "In some cases insurers may follow up by requesting more detailed information on a patient"s full notes for a specified period but both the insurer and the doctor will need to ensure that they have the patient"s permission to release additional information." Insurers have said they are willing to make their forms clearer - taking on board the Privacy Commissioner"s conclusions - so that if they intend to collect medical information there is no confusion for patients and doctors. The NZMA has produced a re for members, which reflects the results of the Commissioner"s inquiry. "If a doctor is uncertain whether a patient has authorised disclosure they need to discuss the matter with their patient," says Dr Peterson. "Patients may also want to see their medical notes before they make a decision on authorising disclosure." The Commissioner has said that occasionally an insurer will be entitled to collect full medical notes, if the more specific information does not provide the detail the insurer needs to make a decision. However, these situations should be rare. New Zealand Medical Association


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