August 16, 2006

50 attend ABIPP Part 1 examination

On August 10, 50 qualifying physicians attended the first ABIPP Part 1 examination. The examination was held just following a 5-day comprehensive board review course offered by ASIPP.   (Boswell quote) Upon certification of 100 physicians representing one-third of the U.S states, ABIPP will apply to state medical licensing boards and the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) for recognition. Currently 41 physicians have received certification through ABIPP.

Basic requirements to sit for ABIPP Part 1 are an active license to practice medicine in the United States and a primary ABMS board certification. Applications are now being considered for the 2007 ABIPP Part 1 examination to be held on August 11 in Nashville, TN.

For a copy of the application, go to: http://www.asipp.org/abipp.html

To view pictures from the ASIPP 4th Annual Comprehensive Board Review Course go to:

http://www.asipp.org/photo/2006-08-stlouis1.html

CMS proposed rule to hurt IPM – ASIPP contracts impact analysis  

On June 21st, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a notice proposing changes to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for the purpose of “improving the accuracy of physician payments for services to Medicare beneficiaries furnished on or after January 1, 2007.”

The proposed changes mainly affect services related to patient evaluation and management, however since CMS is operating on a budget-neutral philosophy, physician evaluation and management services payments may potentially increase. ASIPP’s calculation indicates practice expenses for interventional techniques will reduce from 40% to 50% for the majority of procedures. In response, ASIPP has contracted a study to determine the reasons for these changes and to formulate possible ways to combat changes.

ASIPP has retained the Moran Company, a Washington-based healthcare research consulting firm focused on the boundary between the public and private sectors in healthcare. The Moran Company understands that ASIPP is primarily interested in using findings from the study to identify “technical fixes” that may mitigate some of the decreases in reimbursement. The Moran Company would then simulate effect of such identified alternatives.

Publication of the impact analysis will be forthcoming.

For further information on the rule go to:

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1887

Manchikanti - Medicare in Interventional Pain Management: A Critical Analysis

http://www.painphysicianjournal.com/2006/july/2006;9;171-198.pdf

Courts split on medical societies' role in policing expert witnesses

Recent court rulings out of Kansas and Florida clash in their findings of whether state and federal peer review protections should apply to medical society programs that evaluate what expert witnesses say in medical liability cases.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas in June said that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' grievance process for reporting questionable medical expert testimony is a "professional review action" under the federal Health Care Quality Improvement Act, and that complaints filed through the program are immune from lawsuits.

In July, Florida's 1st District Court of Appeal unanimously held that state and federal immunity statutes do not clearly state that expert testimony should be subject to peer review. Therefore, the court said, the law does not protect the Florida Medical Assn. and three of its members from a defamation lawsuit filed by an expert witness under review.

Each decision hinged largely on the question of whether giving expert testimony falls under the definition of the practice of medicine. 

Subscribers can read more on the issue at:

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/08/21/prl10821.htm

CMS reports on status of Medicare Part D prescription drug program

Since the May 15 enrollment deadline approximately 38 million people with Medicare are now receiving comprehensive prescription drug coverage CMS announced on Tuesday. The expected cost of the average monthly plan premium in 2007 is nearly 40 % lower than originally estimated according to CMS.

See CMS fact sheet on Part D prescription program: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1946

Museum of Science and Industry features exhibit from the Drug Enforcement Administration

Target America: Opening Eyes to the Danger Drugs Cause, a powerful exhibit developed by the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum can be seen at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago beginning this month. The exhibit explores the devastating impact of illicit drugs on society and provides an important look at how everyone can work to break the cycle of drug abuse and drug-related violence. explores the many costs and consequences of illegal drugs

"Target America is a powerful display showing how drugs eat away not just at individual users, but entire families, communities and our nation,” DEA Administrator Karen Tandy said. “Drugs cost all of us dearly: from financing terrorism and causing crime, to increased health care costs, danger on the highways, economic loss and family breakdown. I encourage citizens of Chicago to visit the exhibit and learn how they can help end the heartbreak of drugs."

The exhibit opened August 11, 2006 at the Museum of Science and Industry and will be on display through Dec. 3, 2006. For more information, visit the Museum's Web site at www.msichicago.org or call (773) 684-1414 or (800) GO-TO-MSI outside of the Chicago area.

http://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr081406.html

Texas Docs seeing reduced rates for medical malpractice  

Texas medical malpractice insurance companies have been doing a lot of good lately by reducing doctors' insurance premiums. They've also been doing very well themselves.

Three years ago Texas lawmakers passed a medical liability reform that drastically limited the amount doctors and their insurance companies have to pay to harmed patients.

After Texas voters approved Proposition 12 -- which cemented tort reform into the Texas Constitution in 2003 -- the state's medical malpractice insurance companies began announcing rate cuts in rapid succession, some by more than 20 percent.

As promised during the tort-reform debate, that has helped keep physicians in Texas and comfort ailing specialties -- like obstetrics-gynecology, neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery -- hit hard by medical malpractice lawsuits, says the Texas Medical Association.

Read the Austin Business Journal story at: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2006/08/14/story6.html?b=1155528000^1329632

Sale of Counterfeit Prescription Drugs Amounts to 'Health Care Terrorism,'

In a  Baltimore Sun opinion piece Peter Pitts, director of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and former associate commissioner of FDA, wrote in saying that counterfeit drug trafficking is "health care terrorism" that allows practitioners to "profit immensely from selling fake medicines" around the world.

CMPI estimates that counterfeit drug commerce will increase 13% per year through 2010, at which time revenues are projected to reach $75 billion -- a 92% increase from 2005, Pitts writes. "FDA requires distributors to keep detailed records of the sources of the medications they dispense," Pitts says, but this is "a futile undertaking" because "drug counterfeiters have become so sophisticated, they can produce drugs and packaging that cannot be differentiated from the real thing without complex chemical analysis."

According to Pitts, "FDA must work with the World Health Organization, Interpol and other international public health and law enforcement organizations." Pitts concludes, "It's time to stop accusing the drug industry of crying wolf about prescription drugs. Policy makers must confront the serious business of ensuring that drugs entering our markets are legitimate and safe. It's an area where mistakes are dangerous to everyone's health" (Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 8/15).

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.drugs15aug15,0,3781776.story

Medical Imaging Services Rule Raises Concerns

Advanced Medical Technology Association President and CEO Stephen Ubl in an Aug.10 statement said the group has concerns about a proposed rule issued by CMS on Aug. 8 that would reduce reimbursements for medical imaging services. The rule would continue to impose a 25% reduction in reimbursements for the preparation of additional medical images of contiguous body parts and would implement a statutory requirement that payments for certain medical imaging devices used in individual physician offices not exceed those for devices used in hospital outpatient departments. Ubl said that AdvaMed would lobby lawmakers to "mitigate the effects" of the rule (CQ HealthBeat, 8/14).

For more information on the rule: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/release.asp?Counter=1943

Comprehensive Imaging Review Course in IPM – San Diego

ASIPP will offer a Comprehensive Imaging Review Course in Interventional Pain Management on Sept. 14-16 along with ABIPP Competency Certification in Fluoroscopic Interpretation & Radiation Safety (exam for IPM physicians only) on Sept. 17. The 3-day Comprehensive Imagining Review Course is planned as a CME activity to prepare physicians seeking competency certification or as an in-depth review in fluoroscopic interpretation and radiation safety.

The early registration discount date has been extended to Aug. 30, 2006 – Register Today!

For more information or to register online go to: http://www.asipp.org/meetings.htm

State Society News

If your state society would like to announce meetings or share news stories with our readers, send your new items to Melinda Martin - mmartin@asipp.org

Please…Save the Date!!!

The New Hampshire Society of Interventional Pain Physicians Annual Meeting

The New Hampshire Society of Interventional Pain Physicians Annual Meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 at 6:00 p.m.CR Sparks, Bedford, NH

Your nursing and management staff are encouraged to attend as well. Guest speaker to be announced.

To register or for more information, contact:

Kacey Guay 603-577-3003 x31

kguay@painsolutionsusa.com