ICD-10 afflictions
The World Health Organization has a wonderful website where all 68,000 of the ICD-10 codes we’re now using to classify and bill for the various conditions we treat are categorized and enumerated. First a little about symbolism The WHO logo at left contains an international symbol of medical care also used by the American Medical Association, a serpent lifted up on a pole, that some believe was derived the mythological figure of Asclepius, a supposed half-deity dating to about 1200 BC who was associated with healing and medicine. However, those of us in the Judeo-Christian tradition...
Read MoreHigh Prices for Drugs With Generic Alternatives
The Curious Case of Duexis Aaron Hakim, MS and Joseph S. Ross, MD, MHS JAMA Intern Med. Published online January 23, 2017. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.8423 Approximately 13% of health care expenditures in the United States are for prescription drug spending, nearly $420 billion in 2015. High-priced pharmaceuticals, therapies that cost more than $600 per month, are projected to eclipse 50% of total drug spending by 2018. Price increases for these therapies have been persistent, with unit costs increasing 164% between 2008 and 2015. Pharmacy benefit managers are third-party administrators...
Read MoreWho is Tom Price?
10 Things to know about HHS Secretary designate Tom Price By Medical Economics staff, November 29, 2016 Tom Price, MD, a Republican representative from Georgia, is poised to be nominated as the next secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to media reports. Here’s what physicians should know about Price. 10. He is a third generation physician, having served in private practice for nearly 20 years in Georgia as an orthopedic surgeon. He received his bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Michigan and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at...
Read MoreToo many ER visits?
Too many ER visits? A new study shows millions of New Yorkers are overusing hospital emergency rooms and driving up everyone’s insurance premiums. Using data reported to the NYS Health Department, Excellus BlueCross Blue Shield estimates that out of the 6.4 million visits to hospital emergency rooms in New York State in 2013, two million of them were for preventable conditions that could and should have been treated by primary care physicians. In Monroe County alone, out of every 100 ER visits, 20-30 of them were not significant enough to warrant emergency services. “Many of the visits are...
Read MoreMinority Health Month
Taking care of yourself and your loved ones is the first step towards good health. That means reading up about how to stay well, learning common symptoms of possible health problems, staying up-to-date on the new health care law and knowing where to turn for help. This may sound like a lot. So that’s why we’ve compiled many easy-to-use resources all in one convenient place. Find common symptoms, causes and treatments for more than 900 health and wellness issues Find out about prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines Learn about anatomy, surgery, medical words and more:...
Read MoreFQHC Investigations
To FQHC and beyond? As some of you may know, His Branches Health Services (HBHS) is a Community Health Center (also called a “Diagnostic & Treatment Center” or “D&TC”) licensed by New York State to provide quality care to underserved individuals and families in Rochester. This designation enables our Board of Directors to oversee not only the character of the care we provide but its quality as well. Along with carrying out a number of quality assurance initiatives, including those mandated by ongoing Meaningful Use, Patient Centered Medical Home, and...
Read MoreHealth Insurance Marketplace
