Diabetes Bill Introduced
Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) has reintroduced the Catalyst to Better Diabetes Care Act (H.R. 1402), a bill to increase diabetes treatment, tracking, and outreach. Among other things, the bill would create a patient and provider outreach program aimed at increasing use of the Medicare diabetes screening benefit, track progress in diabetes care through a national report card, promote private-sector diabetes wellness programs through a “best practices” advisory group led by the Commerce Department, and work toward lessening the underreporting of diabetes on death certificates. “Reduced productivity and treatment of diabetes costs the United States more than we spend fighting in Iraq,” Rep. Space said in a statement.
Warning on Sharing Insulin Pens
The Food and Drug Administration has issued an alert warning health care providers and patients about the dangers of sharing insulin pens and cartridges. “Sharing of insulin pens may result in transmission of hepatitis viruses, HIV, or other blood-borne pathogens,” the agency noted. The FDA reported that more than 2,000 patients at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Tex., may have shared insulin pens during 2007–2009. “Although the disposable needles in the insulin pens were reportedly changed for each patient, there is still a risk of blood contamination of the pen reservoir or cartridge,” the alert noted. “Patients who were treated with insulin pens at the hospitals in question are being contacted by the hospitals, and are being offered testing for hepatitis and HIV. Some of the potentially exposed patients have reportedly tested positive for hepatitis C; however, it is not known if the hepatitis infection occurred through insulin pen sharing, or if those who tested positive had previously undiagnosed hepatitis C.” The agency advises providers to report any unexpected adverse or serious events associated with the use of insulin pens or insulin cartridges at
www.fda.gov/medwatch/report/hcp.htm
Physicians Postponing Retirement
Fewer physicians left group practices in 2008 than in 2007, and a majority of group practice leaders believe that the change reflects more physicians delaying retirement because of the economy, said the American Medical Group Association. The group's annual survey of AMGA members reported about a 6% turnover of group practice physicians in 2008, compared with nearly 7% in 2007. The top reasons cited for leaving a group included poor fit with one's practice and need to relocate to be closer to family. Flexibility can keep physicians in a practice, according to respondents, nearly half of whom said part-time options encourage physicians to stay while meeting personal needs or to delay retirement. Almost three-quarters of group practices offer preretirement physicians reduced hours, 56% allow for no call responsibility, and 20% allow concentration on certain patient groups.
Upcoding Alleged in MA Plans
Overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans will not be solved until Congress addresses the plans' upcoding practices, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. “Upcoding refers to unexplained changes [that] plans make over time in the diagnosis codes they assign that make their enrollees appear less healthy than they actually are,” the report says. “Upcoding helps private plans financially by inflating the payments that Medicare makes to them.” According to 2007 data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the severity of the diagnosis codes being used for beneficiaries is rising faster among beneficiaries who have stayed in Medicare Advantage plans than among those staying in traditional Medicare.
Group Wants Ban on Industry CME
The consumer watchdog group Public Citizen has asked the American Medical Association to support a ban on commercial support of continuing medical education. In a letter to the chairs of the AMA's ethical and CME councils, Public Citizen's Health Research Group said that it wants the ban “because the consequences of any corrupting influence of commercial support on CME are so significant.” The group said that “physician-supported CME” is a viable alternative to commercial funding. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said in a statement that a ban on commercial support of CME could prevent physicians from accessing critical information about treatments.