ASIPP has secured an extension to the reduced rate hotel room block. In addition, if you register by Feb. 18, you will also receive the reduced registration price. Don't let the discounts pass you by; make your plans today to attend the March 6-8, 2008 Interventional Techniques Review Course and Cadaver Workshop.

The review course includes one day of didactics covering various interventional techniques and one and a half days of hands-on cadaver workshop designed to meet the needs of interventional pain physicians seeking to refresh or learn new skills and also for those who desire ABIPP certification.

During this 3-day event, you can improve existing skills, learn new skills, prepare for the interventional techniques certification, or prepare for the board examination. Whether you have been practicing interventional pain management for many years or are new to the field with basic skills, we are confident you will find this review course and cadaver workshop to be beneficial as it is essential to keep learning. We trust you will be eager to join us for this opportunity to professional enhancement.

The seminar will take place at the Westin Memphis Beale Street and the Medical Education and Research Institute (MERI) in Memphis, TN. To assure a reduced rate on registration and hotel, register on or before Feb. 11.

Meetings

Brochure

Healthcare advocates are actively campaigning to persuade Barack Obama to cross Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee off his short-list for secretary of Health and Human Services. At issue are cuts Gov. Bredesen engineered to Tennessee's Medicaid program, removing 168,000 people from the program in an effort to control costs. And, in an unusual move for an official under consideration, the governor is fighting back publicly (Meckler, The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 10, 2009)

See Associated Press article: HHS candidate best known for health care cuts

Also see The Washington Post article: Who Should Replace Tom Daschle?

The Online Abstract Submission (see step-by- step procedures below) for the 11th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) is now open. The meeting will be held June 27- June 30, 2009 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA.

To be considered for a presentation at the meeting, abstracts must be submitted and completed by the submission deadline of April 20, 2009.

President Barack Obama signed the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill into law last week expanding coverage to 4.1 million more kids and extending the program through 2013.

Notably absent from the final bill is a provision that would have blocked Medicare and Medicaid funds to new or expanded physician-owned hospitals. This language was in the initial House version, but the Senate omitted the restriction in its bill.

Also see: SCHIP Expanded--Specialty Hospitals Survive (Again)

About three-quarters of surveyed insurance company executives said they expect doctors to have cash-flow problems because of the economic recession, and were concerned about the impact on health plan networks (Berry, amednews.com, Feb. 9, 2009).

Health plan executives expect contracted physicians will be hit hard by the recession -- but there's no indication that concern will affect payments.

The Food and Drug Administration said Monday it will subject the makers of certain extended-release pain drugs to a new risk-management program designed to cut down on misuse and abuse of the products. New government figures show a rise in nonmedical use of prescription pain drugs among adults (Dooren, The Wall Street Jouranl, Feb. 9, 2009).

Opioid drugs formulated in extended-release versions of OxyContin, morphine and fentanyl patches are meant for round-the-clock pain management for patients with cancer and other chronic conditions.

Also see NY Times

Congress' Medicare advisers will recommend that physicians receive a 1.1% pay increase in 2010 instead of the roughly 21% cut that is currently on tap (Silva, amednews.com, Feb. 9, 2009).

The recommendation will appear in the annual March report to lawmakers from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, a congressional agency that counsels lawmakers on how they should set Medicare rates. Commissioners approved the proposal at their January meeting. Lawmakers do not always follow the panel's advice but often use it as a starting point for debate.

A report released on Monday indicates the misuse of prescription painkillers among young adults has increased from 4.1 percent in 2002 to 4.6 percent in 2007, a government report released Monday shows.

The full report is available on the Web at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k9/painRelie vers/nonmedicalTrends.cfm

The FDA and CDC has an ongoing investigation of the Salmonella outbreak in peanut containing products. For a list of the recalled items go to the HHS Web site.

Caryl Serbin, RN, BSN, LHRM, president and founder, and Judith English, vice president of business, of Serbin Surgery Center Billing and Surgery Consultants of America provide the top 10 ASC billing mistakes for Becker's ASC Review.

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Visit the ASIPP Web site to find available positions for IPM physicians.