MASSDEVICE ON CALL — House Republicans began circulating a proposal to come up with the $38 billion needed to pay for an impending cut in Medicare payments to doctors, Healthwatch reported.
The proposal aims to pay for the payments for two years by increasing rates for high-income seniors on Medicare, repealing unspecified parts of health care reform laws and means-testing.
Physician stand to lose 27.4 percent of their reimbursement payments at the end of the year, an accumulation of gradual cuts that have been delayed by Congress in a series of efforts colloquially called the "doc fix."
The GOP plan would address the shortfall and give doctors a 1 percent bump from last year, according to Healthwatch.
Former CMS chief Donald Berwick’s prescription for progress
Recently deposed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services chief Dr. Donald Berwick shared his principles for change in health care with the Boston Globe, urging health care providers to put put patients, especially those who are poor and disadvantaged, before profits.
Mammograms may add up to harm over 10 years
When accounting for false-positives and unnecessary surgeries, women may see more harm than good after 10 years of mammograms, MedPage Today reported.
Detecting non-periodic arrhythmias in a single heartbeat
Doctors may be able to diagnose non-periodic arrhythmias in their offices with a single hear beat using a new technique from Colombia University, according to a press release.
More children and adolescents in chronic pain
Persistent and recurring chronic pain is "overwhelmingly prevalent in children and adolescents," according to research from Elsevier Health Sciences.