Telehealth Licensure Studied
Officials at the Federation of State Medical Boards are tackling the issue of licensure for physicians engaged in telehealth and those involved in the multistate practice of medicine. FSMB recently received a grant from the federal government to test different ways to reduce licensure barriers and better share information across jurisdictions. “With telehealth playing an increasingly important role in meeting the needs of underserved patient populations, the ability of physicians to be able to quickly obtain licensure in multiple jurisdictions has never been more important,” Dr. James N. Thompson, FSMB president and CEO, said in a statement. “This grant will allow us to find ways to streamline the licensure process while maintaining appropriate standards for public protection.” A centralized database also could streamline the verification of physician credentials in times of disaster, according to the FSMB.
CDC Finances Investigated
Members of Congress are looking into alleged financial problems at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a letter, members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee requested that CDC officials provide an analysis done by Deloitte Consulting L.L.C. detailing “inefficiency and ineffective leadership” in the agency's finance office. Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas) and chairman of the committee's subcommittee on oversight and investigations, Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.), also requested information on how CDC manages human tissue samples and laboratory equipment. The congressmen also asked to be briefed on the status of CDC's reorganization, ongoing since June 2003. “Some CDC employees have raised concerns that these changes will make CDC more cumbersome and bureaucratic, taking time and resources away from scientific programs directly benefiting the public,” Rep. Barton and Rep. Whitfield wrote in the letter.
Health IT Standardization
The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT), founded in 2004 by three health IT industry organizations, has been designated officially as a Recognized Certification Body by the Health and Human Services Department. CCHIT has already given its seal of approval to 33 ambulatory electronic health record products. The organization will continue to work on certification criteria for inpatient and hospital systems and the architecture that allows information exchange between health care providers and institutions. “Broad adoption of health information technology that is interoperable is absolutely crucial to providing patients with better care, at lower cost, and with less hassle,” HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said in a statement. “I applaud the CCHIT for meeting the requirements to become a Recognized Certification Body and for their efforts to help bring the benefits of health IT within reach of consumers.”
Smoking Rates Level Off
An 8-year decline in adult smoking rates may be flattening, according to the CDC. The agency analyzed self-reported data from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey and found that the nation is falling behind in efforts to reduce cigar and cigarette smoking, use of smokeless tobacco, and adult quit attempts. In 2005, 21% of adults, or 45 million Americans, were smokers; of those, 43% had tried to quit. About 2% were cigar or smokeless tobacco users. All the rates were unchanged from 2004, the authors said in the Oct. 27 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. They cited several factors contributing to the stall, including smaller increases in cigarette prices and a 27% reduction in funding for state tobacco control and prevention programs for 2002–2006. Smoking rates are highest among people with less education—43% of those with a General Educational Development diploma; the rate is 30% among those living at or below the poverty level. Meanwhile, a Zogby International poll of 1,200 registered voters commissioned by the Drug Policy Alliance found that 45% were in favor of banning cigarettes within 5–10 years. The strongest support came from 18- to 29-year-olds; 57% favored criminalization, reported the DPA, which advocates medical treatment for drug use and is about to launch a public service campaign on the potential unintended consequences of a cigarette ban.
Medicare Handbook Bias
A group of senior House and Senate Democrats have charged that the 2007 Medicare Handbook casts HMO plans in a more favorable light than fee-for-service plans. The Bush Administration favors Medicare Advantage, the HMO program, which had enrolled about 7.5 million out of 42 million beneficiaries as of mid-year. But it's no secret that Democrats have been unhappy with the program. At the National Medicare Congress in Washington in mid-October, Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) said the program is “overpaid” relative to fee-for-service and that “Medicare loses money on everyone who signs up.” Rep. Stark joined Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), and Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) in writing HHS Secretary Mike Levitt charging that the 2007 handbook “presents a misleading and biased view of Medicare coverage and options.” Though no changes can be made to the 2007 book, the legislators urged CMS to ensure that other beneficiary materials take their concerns into account.