A nationwide survey of health care executives released today by Identity Force indicates that approximately 80 percent of hospitals are still not in compliance with federal Red Flags Rules that require businesses and organizations to create identity theft prevention programs. The Federal Trade Commission has set May 1, 2009 as the enforcement deadline for the new regulations. The survey also found that 63.3 percent of facilities have data breaches each year, with 18.8 percent reporting 10 or more breaches annually.

In an effort to ensure and protect patient access to approved medical treatments, a petition in support of a Health Insurer Code of Conduct was launched by the Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA). The petition calls for the adoption of a Code of Conduct, currently being drafted by the American Medical Association, which will address the restrictive practices of the managed care industry that undermine the integrity of doctor-patient relationships.

A new report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation found that the overall distribution of spending on health insurance by employers, individuals, and government remained essentially the same between 2005, one year before passage of Massachusetts health reform, and 2007, one year after lawmakers passed the Massachusetts health care reform law. A critical component of the Massachusetts 2006 health reform statute was that the responsibility of paying for expanded access to health insurance be shared among the three groups.

To correct this industry issue, the AC Group is coining a new term: Integrated Community EHRs, also known as ICE. The premise of these services centers around creating a thriving community that connect physicians and patients on a clinical level.

A first-of-its-kind study indicates that mental disorders and heart conditions are the two most expensive medical conditions in the United States in terms of personal health spending.

Health care in the United States is often fragmented and uncoordinated. It is common for patients to receive episodic care from different physicians. A new study in Annals of Internal Medicine, however, finds that patients who are connected to a specific primary care physician are more likely to receive guideline-consistent care than those who are connected to a practice but not a physician.

The prestigious journal Science today published the results of a research study demonstrating for the first time that mental activity can alter the biochemistry of the human brain. Conducted by researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, the study used Position Emission Tomography (PET scans) to monitor the brain activity of subjects using Cogmed Working Memory Training. The results reveal that the training impacted the brain by increasing the number of dopamine receptors in the cortex.

Achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can address many of the factors that lead to heart disease. To help guide the way, the personal health coaches at Gordian Health Solutions, who help individuals choose healthier behaviors every day of the year, share 10 vital cardiovascular health messages.

In response to a recent announcement by Director Cindy Ehnes from the Department of Managed Health Care about new rules requiring California HMOs to provide translation services for patients with limited English ability, Donald Crane, President and CEO of the California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG), issued the following statement:

Michael Law MD Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Raleigh, NC is seeing an increase in demand for fat transfer, fat injections and microfat grafting. Dr. Law, a board certified plastic surgeon, explains this increase in demand due to the natural looking results these fat grafting procedures provide.