Congress passes a number of health care provisions in the current budget Congress narrowly passed a $1.1 trillion federal budget that will fund most of the federal government through September 2015. Below is a summary of key health care provisions in the bill. Within the bill, Congress expressed concern that there had not been adequate opportunity for public comment on bundling of surgical codes in the final rule of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The budget bill says that the appropriate methodology has not been tested to ensure that patient care and patient access are not negatively impacted ... December 16, 2014 General, Medicare Advocacy, Federal Legislation, Medicare, Prescription Drugs, CDC, Ebola, Recovery Audit Contractor 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDPH publishes quarantine guidelines for travelers at risk of contracting or spreading Ebola The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) yesterday published statewide guidelines for quarantining individuals with suspected cases of Ebola and those who are at high risk of contracting or spreading the disease. These rules are consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and include a mandatory 21-day quarantine for any travelers who had contact with an Ebola patient, whether or not the travelers are showing symptoms. However, the state said it would allow local health authorities to enforce the order on a “case-by-case” basis, with varying ... November 5, 2014 General Ebola, Infectious Diseases, Public Health, CDC 0 0 Comment Read More »
UC medical centers ready to provide in-patient care for confirmed cases of Ebola Last week, the University of California (UC) Office of the President informed the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) that all five UC medical centers were ready to provide in-patient care for Californians who have confirmed cases of Ebola. According to the UC Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and Service John Stobo, M.D., the UC medical centers—which include Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco facilities—are “committed to addressing the health needs of this population and the public at large, as well as ensuring the safety of ... October 28, 2014 General Public Health, Ebola 0 0 Comment Read More »
AMA assembles Ebola resources for physicians The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sept. 30 confirmed the first U.S. case of Ebola, and developments associated with the virus continue to unfold. In the past week, two Dallas nurses have been diagnosed with Ebola after treating Thomas Eric Duncan, the first U.S. ebola patient, who died last week after travelling from Liberia to Texas to visit family. Both health care workers were with Duncan during what the CDC says is the highest risk period—when a patient is vomiting and having diarrhea. To help you prepare ... October 16, 2014 General Department of Public Health, Ebola, CDC, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
