Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE http://stanleyfeldmdmace.typepad.com/ Physicians have been slow to adopt Electronic Medical Records (EMR) even though most physicians are computer savvy. There are reasons for physicians to be slow adoptors. They are told that the EMR will increase their quality of care. However, quality of care has not been adequately defined by those who proclaim […]

http://www.insurancejournal.com Oklahoma State Representative Jason W. Murphey (R-Guthrie) has introduced legislation intended to lower medical costs by providing incentive for insurers to write “Negative Outcomes” insurance policies. The bill also seeks to help ensure that patients are properly and quickly compensated for medical malpractice. In the announcement, Murphey said Negative Outcomes insurance is a unique […]

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/ The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report features recent developments related to medical malpractice in four states. Summaries appear below. * Illinois: Illinois medical malpractice insurance premiums have decreased by an average of 5.2% this year and either will remain the same or drop again next year, according to ISMIE Mutual, the state’s largest malpractice […]

By Rebecca Correa , Staff writer Eagle-Tribune In a unit at Elliot Hospital in Manchester, doctors can make a series of injections called Botox to eliminate wrinkles on the skin in a matter of minutes. About five miles away at another facility, clients can get tattoos removed, liposuction and some of the same Botox procedures […]

Regina McEnery Plain Dealer Reporter A physician and information science expert at the Cleveland Clinic has broken ranks to oversee the implementation of University Hospitals’ $88 million electronic medical records system. Dr. Holly Miller has been appointed UH’s chief medical information officer. She joined the Clinic in 1999 as director of the clinical Internet systems […]

MARY ANN DUTTON Staff Writer http://www.sulphurdailynews.com The Third Circuit State Court of Appeals recently challenged the $500,000 cap Louisiana put on medical malpractice damage awards in 1975. The Court said the cap violates the state constitution by robbing patients of their right to an adequate legal solution for their injuries. Sulphur Attorney Oliver Jackson Schrumpf […]

By Keith M. Phaneuf, Journal Inquirer http://www.journalinquirer.com HARTFORD – The 2007 General Assembly session opened Wednesday with its usual flurry of activity, with more than 200 new bills referred to various committees. Not surprisingly, included among them were dozens of health insurance-related measures. Legislative leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers spent much of the past fall campaigning […]

By David Phelps, Star Tribune http://www.startribune.com Worried about the rising number of CT scans, MRIs and other high-tech imaging procedures showing up on medical bills, Minnesota’s largest insurers now want doctors to get permission from a third-party evaluator before ordering such procedures for their patients. As medical imaging centers and expensive machines proliferate, insurers say […]

BUSINESS WIRE A.M. Best Co. (AM Best) upgraded Medical Protective’s financial strength rating to “A++”? (its highest) last week, citing Medical Protective’s “leading market presence in the primary medical professional liability market, distribution capabilities, aggressive claims philosophy and comparatively strong operating performance”? along with “support provided by [its] ultimate parent Berkshire Hathaway.”? “We are proud […]