The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved the use of Botox for the treatment of increased stiffness and tightness in certain muscles of the upper extremities in patients with conditions like traumatic brain injury, stroke, and progressive multiple sclerosis.

They also reiterated that the treatment is not meant to be a substitute for physical therapy and rehabilitation and that there are many possible serious side effects with its use.  bjmdjd

_________________________________________________________________

It looks like Medicare patients and the physicians that see them may be safe again for a while. The Senate today voted to delay the 21.2% Medicare physician pay cut until October 1, 2010. It will take effect if the House approves it and President Obama signs it. Both which will probably occur.

This is the same bill with extending unemployment benefits attached to it and extension of premium subsidies for those who are out of work under the COBRA program. Most Democrats voted for it in the Senate and most Republicans voted against it under the guise of not wanting to increase the deficit.

As I wrote earlier, I understand and agree with the deficit problem but the unemployed need some money to exist and Medicare patients need to be able to get an appointment to see their doctors. Hopefully Congress will finally create a permanent fix for the Medicare physician reimbursement problem that they have had to frequently cover with a band aid.  bjmdjd

________________________________________________________________

The results of two different studies that were scheduled to be presented today at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons detail the high rate of severe injuries to children who ride all terrain vehicles (ATVs). These injuries include spinal injuries, amputations, and even death.

A pediatric emergency medicine specialist at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital who was not involved in the studies said that ATV associated deaths increased almost 60% from 2000 to 2005 and non fatal accidents increased 48%. People, kids and adults, love them but these studies only reiterate what those of us in medicine already knew.  bjmdjd

Material modifications since posting: none

all terrain vehicles · American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons · ATVs · Botox · Food and Drug Administration · health · Medicare physician pay cut · muscle tightness and stiffness · Senate · wellness

As I predicted the Medicare disaster that I wrote about on 2/27/10 was averted when President Obama signed a bill postponing the physician pay cut of 21.2% until April 1st. Kentucky Senator Bunning had the bill held up along with several important attachments (like the unemployment benefits extension) until the Democrats could prove to him that they had a way to pay for it.

Organized medicine is still not pleased. There is something called the sustainable growth rate formula that is used to determine Medicare reimbursement rates for physicians. This formula is the reason that these pay cuts come up frequently and the congress has to waste time repealing or postponing them which is always what they end up doing. While this is responsible on their part and needs to be done, they could avoid the entire issue by permanently repealing the formula. Organized medicine has begged for this for some time.

Anyway all is well for the time being and hopefully congress will come up with a more permanent fix to the problem before April 1st. And hopefully Medicare patients will be able to get doctors appointments between now and then.  bjmdjd

Material modifications since posting: none

health · Medicare physician pay cut · President Obama · Senator Bunning · sustainable growth rate formula · wellness

If you are a Medicare patient you need to know that a Medicare disaster is on the verge of occurring. The Senate adjourned before approving a bill that would prevent a 21.2% physician pay cut from becoming effective on Monday March 1, 2010.

To their credit (for once) Democrats have tried for months to pass legislation that would prevent this from happening but once again this past week they were thwarted by Republican Senator Jim Bunning from Kentucky. He stated that he just could not support this bill with all of it’s other expensive attachments because the Democrats had not figured out a way to pay for it and thus it would increase the deficit.

The bill was going to delay the pay cut for 30 days until something more permanent could be studied and possibly passed. Most physician groups have supported passage of a bill that permanently fixes this recurring pay cut problem.

If physicians are to be believed, it may be hard to get a doctor’s appointment as early as next week. I don’t think I am going out on a limb by saying that if the pay cut occurs, a primary care physician will LOSE money every time a Medicare patient walks in their office. NOT make less money, LOSE money! The average Joe may not believe it but it’s true!

I have no doubt that something will be done. Medicare payors have already informed physicians that if the pay cut occurs they will hold all Medicare claims for 10 business days starting Monday giving the Senate time to fix the problem and make it retroactive to March 1st.

If the physician pay fix doesn’t become a done deal, woe to those (including me) who need a doctor and their payor is Medicare!  bjmdjd

Material modifications since posting: none

Medicare · Medicare physician pay cut · Sen. Jim Bunning · Senate Democrats