Opinion: Physicians Don't Deserve Characterization as Greed Mongers
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, July 2, 2009
The truth is that the overwhelming majority of physicians are individuals who worked diligently and excelled from elementary school through college, spent four years in medical school, followed by an additional grueling three to seven years or more of specialty training, incurring an average of roughly $200,000 in debt before beginning to practice. More

BBC Sends Top Reporter to McAllen to Look at City's 'Health Care Conundrum'
from The Rio Grande Guardian, July 7, 2009
The British Broadcasting Corporation sent its Washington bureau chief to McAllen, Texas, to report on the city’s "healthcare conundrum." Katty Kay interviewed Dr. Lester Dyke, a McAllen heart surgeon, who said profit rather than patient need was driving many decisions. Kay also met with patients who cannot afford health insurance. And she toured Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, interviewing its chairman, Dr. Carlos Cardenas. More

Nation Faces Shortage of Primary Care Doctors
from The Dallas Morning News, July 6, 2009
Even if President Barack Obama is successful in revamping the health care system to cover the nation's 46 million uninsured, Texas and the rest of the nation still face a shortage of primary-care doctors to treat them. Since 1997, U.S. medical school graduates in family medicine and general internal medicine programs have fallen by nearly 50 percent, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. More

Burgess' Response To President Obama's Answer To His Question On Medical Liability Reform
from Medical News Today, July 2, 2009
On the issue of medical justice reform, I am pleased to hear that President Obama and I share the common goal of reducing medical liability insurance rates and the constant threat of lawsuits many doctors and hospitals face. Let me be clear - my goal is not to deny a patient who has been legitimately harmed what is due to them. Instead, I want to make sure that overzealous trial attorneys and the unmerited lawsuits they often bring about do not compromise the care provided by a doctor to his or her patient. More

Health Care Overhaul Plans Provoking Debate in North Texas
from The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, July 4, 2009
The North Texas congressional delegation is hearing a recurring theme when talking to Texans about a healthcare overhaul: Most people know more about what they don’t want than what they do. President Barack Obama has called on Congress to deliver him a sweeping healthcare overhaul bill by October. The issue is expected to dominate Washington when Congress returns from recess. More

CMS Proposes 21.5 Percent Physician Pay Cut
from Cardiovascular Business, July 6, 2009
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a 21.5 percent rate reduction for the 2010 calendar year to more than one million physicians and non-physician practitioners who are paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). The MPFS sets payment rates for more than 7,000 types of services in physician offices, hospitals and other settings. More

Deal Would Restrict Doctor Ownership of Hospitals
from Modern Physician, July 7, 2009
Physician ownership of hospitals would be greatly restricted as part of a deal - struck by the hospital lobby and approved of by the White House and key senators - to trim more than $150 billion over 10 years to help finance health reform legislation. The nation's hospitals could see $155 billion less in Medicare reimbursement, in part because of a new reimbursement structure, and $50 billion less in federal disproportionate-share hospital dollars under a deal struck by a trio of hospital associations. More

National Health Insurer Code of Conduct Hits 1000 Signatures of Support
from BusinessWire, July 6, 2009
Support for a National Health Insurer Code of Conduct to regulate the managed care industry, an initiative supported by the Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA), has achieved a significant milestone as it has garnered its one thousandth signature. Launched just months ago, the list of signatories continues to grow at a rapid pace as individuals, doctors, and patient advocacy groups rally to show their support for a much needed National Health Insurer Code of Conduct. More

As Health Data Becomes Available, Patients Can Demand Better Care
from The Dallas Morning News, July 7, 2009
For consumers who want to know, there are now ways to compare cost estimates for surgeries. You can learn how often hospitals lose patients, and how often they get them back after less than a month because of complications and mistakes. This increased transparency is one of the great hopes among health care reformers for tackling the high cost of American medicine. More

An M.D. On How Money Drives Medical Testing
from The Wall Street Journal Health Blog, July 7, 2009
Some familiar subjects are worth revisiting - like the fact that paying doctors for every test and procedure they do provides an incentive to do more tests and procedures. Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist, reflects on the subject in an essay in The New York Times. More

Texas Drops Health Education Requirement
from The Houston Chronicle, July 7, 2009
Health class will no longer be a state requirement for high school students this fall, making Texas one of the few states in the country with no required health education, officials said. Education Commissioner Robert Scott announced the move in a recent letter to school districts, causing some to worry Texas students will miss out on critical topics like alcohol awareness, sex education and basic nutrition. More

Physicians Support New Immunizations, Urge Children to Get Vaccinated Early
from The Kilgore News Herald, July 8, 2009
New rules require more vaccinations before a child can start kindergarten or seventh grade this fall and physicians of the Texas Medical Association urge parents to get their child's shots now before school starts. "Don't wait until school starts to ensure your child's health. The sooner your children get their vaccines, the sooner they are protected against serious diseases," said Carol Baker, MD, a spokesperson for TMA's "Be Wise - Immunize (SM)" program and executive director of the Center for Vaccine Awareness and Research at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. More