Stroke Care Disparities
The burden of strokes continues to weigh more heavily on blacks and Hispanics than whites, according to a joint scientific statement from the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association. “We see disparities in every aspect of stroke care, from lack of awareness of stroke risk factors and symptoms to delayed arrival to the emergency room and increased waiting time,” Dr. Salvador Cruz-Flores, neurology professor at the Souers Stroke Institute at St. Louis University, said in a press statement. He led a panel of biostatisticians, epidemiologists, nurses, cardiologists, and vascular neurologists that found a higher prevalence and incidence of stroke in blacks and Hispanics than in whites. The panel noted that the percentage of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. population could double by 2050, so it is urgent to address disparities in stroke and stroke care. The statement added that researchers have a poor understanding of socioeconomic factors that may contribute to the disparities.
Clot Buster Underused
Although the use of tissue plasminogen activator has increased, still only a fraction of eligible Americans are receiving the clot-busting therapy, researchers at the University of Cincinnati found. Dr. Opeolu Adeoye and his colleagues used 2005-2009 Medicare and pharmacy records showing whether TPA was administered to people suffering acute ischemic strokes. In 2005, 1%-1.4% of those patients were given the Food and Drug Administration–approved clot buster. Four years later, 3%-3.4% were recorded as having received the drug. When the authors adjusted for potential billing errors, they concluded that as many as 5% of eligible patients were getting TPA in 2009. That still means that between 23,800 and 36,000 of the 700,000 Americans who had an ischemic stroke got TPA that year. The study was published in the journal Stroke.
Group Backs Stent Fight
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions said it backs hospitals in Texas and Oklahoma fighting Medicare denials of payment for admission of patients getting coronary stents (MS-DRG 247 claims). The American Hospital Association and its state affiliates wrote Medicare administrators objecting to denials of medically necessary admissions made by Trailblazer Health Enterprises, a Medicare contractor. The hospital groups said that Trailblazer's coverage decisions appeared based on stay lengths rather than patients' clinical characteristics, a violation of Medicare policy. The groups asked the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to suspend Trailblazer's audits of MS-DRG 247 claims until the issue is resolved.
Multispecialty Groups Pay Better
Specialists working in multispecialty practices had higher starting salaries last year than did those working in single-specialty groups, according to new data from the Medical Group Management Association. Multispecialty groups paid a median $258,677 in guaranteed compensation, whereas single-specialty practices paid $240,598 to specialists. But the opposite was true in primary care: The median first-year guaranteed salary was $172,400 in single-specialty group practices, while multispecialty groups paid $165,000. The median annual compensation for rheumatologists during their first year after residency, including physicians in fellowships, was $190,000. “First-year” compensation for rheumatologists, excluding those just out of residency or in fellowships, was $205,000. The figures come from the association's Physician Placement Starting Salary Survey.
Older Americans Doing Just Fine
Older Americans beat out all other age groups on various measures of well-being, with higher scores on healthy behaviors, work satisfaction, and access to necessities, according to a Gallup poll. Americans aged older than 65 years scored 69 out of 100 on a well-being index, which measures physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Adults aged 18-29 years scored 68, those aged 30-44 scored 67, and people aged 45-64 trailed with a score of 65. The survey report indicated that seniors tend to be less sad and depressed than any other age group, although they fall slightly behind others in physical health.
No, It's Never Healthy
The Food and Drug Administration has warned online retailers to stop marketing tobacco products with misleading or unsubstantiated claims that the products can reduce the risk of tobacco-related diseases. In 11 warning letters, the agency cited the online retailers for a variety of illegal claims, including use of terms such as “light,” “mild,” “low,” “less toxic,” and “safer.” Companies can't make these claims unless the FDA has okayed them, and the FDA hasn't okayed any such claim for any tobacco product. The agency also cited some Internet retailers for selling flavored cigarettes. “There is no known safe tobacco product,” said Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, in a statement. “It is illegal for tobacco companies or retailers, including Internet sellers, to make unsubstantiated claims or statements that imply tobacco products reduce health risks.”