FTC delays Red Flags Rule enforcement until Nov. 1

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has delayed the enforcement date of the Red Flags Rule until Nov. 1. This regulation requires creditors and financial institutions to develop identity theft prevention programs. For more information and resources visit the FTC website at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/07/redflag.shtm

Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Video Now Available for Download

A new video explaining the MLN and its benefits to Fee-For-Service healthcare providers, is now available for download on the CMS website. This video, approximately seven minutes in length, is suitable for self instruction or for use during provider education events. National associations and organizations may want to consider posting this video to their websites to educate their membership on the products and services of the MLN.

To access the video, click on this hyperlink: MLN Video - Quick and Basic Information about the MLN and its Benefits to Providers [ZIP, 44.1MB]. Please note the large file size; download speeds will vary based on your Internet connection.

The EHR Stimulus Alliance

Allscripts revealed the formation of a coalition of technology innovation leaders who are partnering to educate physicians about opportunities aligned with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.

The act details President Obama’s plan to improve healthcare quality, safety and efficiency through the secure exchange of electronic health information and the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) and associated technologies. The EHR Stimulus Alliance – which includes Allscripts, Cisco, Citrix, Dell, Intel, Intuit, Microsoft Corp. and Nuance – marks a nationwide campaign by a broad coalition of healthcare and technology companies to help physicians explore opportunities associated with the ARRA. Alliance members are sponsoring The EHR Stimulus Tour, an education program with hundreds of planned virtual and physical events for physicians in cities across the U.S. http://www.ehrstimulustour.com/tour.html

The Alliance also has posted a Resource web page with links to Stimulus educational information including Frequently Asked Questions. http://www.ehrstimulustour.com/resources.html

The Doctor Will Text You Now

published 06/30/09 by Wall Street Journal



Jane Rust woke up early one day last year and discovered that her left eye was red, swollen and itchy. So she logged on to her family doctor’s Web site and typed a message describing her symptoms and asking what to do.
By mid-morning, the 61-year-old homemaker received an online response from her doctor with a diagnosis—conjunctivitis, or pink eye insurance news, probably contracted from a child in her Sunday-school class—and a prescription to pick up at the pharmacy. “I didn’t have to disrupt my day,” says Ms. Rust, who lives in Readyville, Tenn. “It’s much more efficient.”

This year, 39% of doctors said they’d communicated with patients online, up from just 16% five years earlier, according to health-information firm Manhattan Research, a unit of Decision Resources Inc. So far, the most common digital doctor services are the simplest ones, like paying bills, sending lab results and scheduling appointments. But patients like Ms. Rust are also using computers to deal with issues that usually require a trip to the doctor’s office.

Though the number of physicians doing formal digital visits is still small, the practice of online care has grown as more health insurers begin paying doctors for treating patients virtually, albeit at a lower fee scale than for traditional in-office appointments. Among companies that now cover digital visits are Aetna Inc. and Cigna Corp., as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in states including Florida, Hawaii and North Carolina. WellPoint Inc. and Humana Inc. are trying it in parts of the country, and may expand their coverage.

To read the full article click here.