Physicians Meet With
Congressional Leaders on Medicare and Liability Reform
A Capitol Hill "fly-in" on June 8-9, sponsored
by the Alliance of Specialty Medicine brought physicians from
14 specialty organizations together to push for federal legislation
capping non-economic damages in medical liability lawsuits
and modifications to the current Medicare physician payment
formula. Reps. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.)
joined Sens. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), John McCain (R-Ariz.),
and Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) in thanking the physicians for their
dedication to improving the health care system and emphasized
the importance of physicians’ advocacy on Capitol Hill.
"We need your help and support to keep the conversation
going," said Senate Majority Leader Frist. Representing
the ACC at the fly-in were Barry Lewis, D.O., F.A.C.C., Michigan;
Charles Rasmussen, M.D., F.A.C.C., Idaho; and Howard Walpole,
Jr., M.D., F.A.C.C., Tennessee.
In
conjunction with the fly-in, the Alliance of Specialty Medicine
launched its Website, www.specialtydocs.org,
an information resource for policymakers, physicians, patients,
and the media on medical liability, Medicare reform, and patient
safety.
Start
of Claims Period for CIGNA Settlement Delayed
As reported last month, a federal appeals court upheld a $540
million settlement
of the lawsuit between 700,000 physicians and CIGNA. To comply
with the settlement terms, the Court required CIGNA to institute
a "Claims Period," during which physicians could
submit claims for payment from the settlement funds. In order
to accommodate the implementation of the claims reimbursement
process, the Court has approved a short delay in the mailing
of the Notice of Commencement of Claims Period. This notice
will outline the dates of the Claims Period and how to submit
a claim. Physicians eligible for compensation from the settlement
funds may check www.hmosettlements.com
for updates on mailing and Claims Period dates.
President
Bush Outlines Plan for Electronic Medical System
Building on proposals outlined in his January State of the
Union address, President Bush described his goals for integrating
technology and health care to an audience at Vanderbilt University
Medical Center. He pointed specifically to an initiative aimed
at capturing most Americans’ medical records in electronic
form within 10 years. The administration has earmarked $100
million in the FY05 budget for health technology. Presidential
candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has included the use of
electronic medical records as part of his health care agenda,
calling for an electronic medical system to be operative by
2008. (Washington Post, 5/28)
New
Drug Importation Bill Introduced
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), Chairman of the Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions Committee, introduced a bill to legalize
U.S. purchases of prescription drugs from Canada and 15 European
countries. The legislation restricts the type of imported
prescription drugs to those that have FDA-approval and were
manufactured in FDA-approved manufacturing facilities. The
bill also allows the HHS Secretary to restrict the ports of
access through which drugs are imported. Pharmaceutical companies
would not be penalized for limiting prescription drug shipments
to Canada, but would have to pay a fee to help support the
importation system. This bill is the third prescription drug
importation bill proposed by Senate committee chairmen. Finance
Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Commerce Chairman John
McCain (R-Ariz.) have introduced separate proposals to authorize
importation of prescription drugs from Canada. (Baltimore
Sun, 6/3)
Health
Care Spending Slows, But Continues to Outpace U.S. Economic
Growth
According to a study
released by the Center for Studying Health System Change,
healthcare spending rates have dropped for the second consecutive
year. The study examined the cost of services covered by private
insurance and found that health care spending per privately
insured person increased 7.4 percent in 2003 as compared to
growth rates of 9.5 percent in 2002 and 10 percent in 2001.
This trend was consistent among four categories studied by
the Center: outpatient hospital care, inpatient hospital care,
physician services, and prescription drugs. Spending on outpatient
hospital care showed the most amount of growth, while spending
on prescription drugs demonstrated a significant deceleration.
The study also showed that hospital utilization showed minimal
growth and that the increase in hospital spending could be
attributed to a rise in hospital prices.
New
Jersey Medical Liability Bill Signed Into Law
Gov. James McGreevey (D) signed into law a bill
that establishes a $78 million fund to defray the cost of
medical liability insurance. The fund will be subsidized by
a $75 annual fee on doctors, chiropractors, dentists, optometrists
and lawyers in addition to a $3 surcharge on state employers
for each employee. The new law does not impose a cap on non-economic
damages, but does provide stricter conditions for bringing
a malpractice suit. Doctors can also form purchasing alliances
to negotiate lower insurance premiums and the state insurance
commissioner may lower medical liability rates deemed excessive
by her office. (New York Times, 6/7)
Advocacy
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