Current Memphis Medical News

Health Insurers Tackle Deluge of Changes | J. James Rohack, Kris Haltmeyer, Robert Zirkelbach, health reform, American Medical Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, America's Health Insurance Plans, health insurance exchanges
Health Insurers Tackle Deluge of Changes
Reform Regulations Are Kicking In Already
Healthcare reform requires changes of all stakeholders, but probably none more so than third-party payers, usually portrayed as wearing the black hat in this ongoing drama. In fact, President Obama hasn’t hesitated to cast insurers in the role of characters more worried about money than patient care.
SHARON H. FITZGERALD

HEALTHCARE LEADER: Rusty DeGeorge
HEALTHCARE LEADER: Rusty DeGeorge
CEO, Conrad Pearson Clinic
Don't let Rusty DeGeorge's soft voice and laid back southern charm mislead you; he has seen both global suffering and daunting domestic challenges, and he is passionate about addressing them and making a difference in today's world.
JUDY OTTO

Long Wait Over | Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, David Baytos, Ruth Ann Hale, Mississippi State Department of Health, DeSoto County, Mary Currier, Mississippi State Health Officer
Long Wait Over
Methodist Wins CON Approval to Build Hospital in Olive Branch
After years of wrangling, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has been given the green light to build a new 100-bed acute care hospital in Olive Branch.
LYNNE JETER

Sometimes I Wish Something Could Just Stay the Same
Version 5010 Transition for Electronic Claims Submission
With almost 100 percent of Medicare Part A claim transactions being submitted electronically (and just over 96 percent of the Part B claims) using the Version 4010/4010A1 of healthcare standards, payers and providers must implement, test and transition to the 5010 Version transaction to be compliant with HIPAA no later than January 1, 2012.
BETTY HATTEN

Medical Economics: Managed Care Contracting - Helpful Hints
Do your homework. Before proceeding in negotiations with a payer, make sure you have an understanding of the extent of leverage you have with the plan. This will drive the negotiation process. If you have negotiated a contract before, you most likely will know the payer representative you will be working with. If not, ask questions of you colleagues about the payer and the payer representatives that have responsibility in your market.
BILL APPLING

Healthy Memphis Commontable Update
Healthy Memphis Common Table (HMCT), the regional health and healthcare improvement collaborative for the greater Memphis area is pleased to announce our 2010 Board of Directors

The Race of a Lifetime
Prostate cancer has been winning the race for some time now. This year alone 28,000 men will die from this debilitating disease, but it doesn't have to keep winning. This year on Saturday, September 11, Memphis is hosting the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge. This national event is our chance to fight back against this silent killer; it is our chance to beat prostate cancer and win the race of life.
NATHAN RIDENOUR

RESEARCH REPORT: Porterfields Lead Groundbreaking Study on ICD Reliability
After leading a groundbreaking study on the long-term reliability of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), James G. Porterfield, MD, and his wife, Linda M. Porterfield, PhD, from Methodist University Hospital, determined that St. Jude Medical Riata defibrillation lead adverse events are low and fall within the range of currently recognized standards.
LYNNE JETER