Texas reports first locally transmitted Zika case
The AP (11/28, Stengle) reports that “Texas on Monday reported its first case of Zika virus that likely came from a mosquito bite within the state.” The AP points out that Florida is the only other state with locally spread Zika. Meanwhile, “health officials say that the woman…
Tom Price reportedly selected to head HHS
The New York Times (11/28, A1, Pear, Subscription Publication) reports on its front page that according to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team, he has chosen Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) to be the next HHS Secretary. Price, who is “an orthopedic surgeon, has been a severe critic of the…
New Study Suggests Retail Clinics Do Not Reduce Non-Emergency ED Visits
According to a study published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine, retail clinics are addressing the issue of increased patient demand, but have not been associated with a meaningful reduction in low-acuity ED visits. The article reported that people “are just as likely to go to the emergency…
WHO: Zika no longer an international public health emergency
The Washington Post (11/18, Sun) reported that the World Health Organization declared that the Zika virus is no longer an international public health emergency. However, experts with the WHO clarified that this designation does not indicate that addressing Zika is less important, but that it requires a sustained…
AMA Statement on the Future of Health Care Reform
Statement attributable to: Andrew W. Gurman, M.D. President, American Medical Association “The AMA House of Delegates, reflecting more than 170 state and specialty medical societies from across the country, today reaffirmed its commitment to health care reform that improves access to care for all patients. “Using a comprehensive…
Latest NewsBrief Now Available
The October 2016 issue of AMS NewsBriefs has been distributed via email and printed mail. Members, if you did not receive a copy, please give us a call to update your subscription preferences at 800-542-1058. The issue is available online in the Publications section as well as excerpts…
HHS Office of Civil Rights Rule Finalization
HHS OCR finalized a new rule under Section 1557 to advance health equity and reduce health disparities by strengthening protections for some of the populations that have been most vulnerable to discrimination in the health care context. Section 1557 is the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act…
MACRA Update
AMS will continue to provide our physicians with updates on MACRA as new information becomes available. The AMA has some resources here. Below are some other resources you might find helpful: MACRA website - Includes a checklist with steps practices can take now to prepare, an action kit and…
Final MACRA Rule Expands Exemptions, Flexibility
Nearly a third of physicians could be exempt from Medicare's new merit-based incentive payment system under a final rule CMS issued on October 14, 2016, for implementing the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). CMS heeded the concerns of small practices and Congress about the framework's impact on…
Issue 4 Disqualified from November Ballot
Thursday Oct 13, 2016 - AMS has just learned that the Arkansas Supreme Court has disqualified the AMS supported tort reform amendment (Issue 4) from the November ballot. Two separate lawsuits were filed with the Court in an effort to keep Arkansas’s voters from deciding whether there should be…
Public Health Implications of Medical Marijuana
Authors: Nathaniel Smith, MD, MPH and Gregory H. Bledsoe, MD, MPH | As seen in the November issue of the Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society. What is "medical marijuana"? To respond to this question meaningfully, we must first define terms. Marijuana contains over 80 different cannabinoids in varying concentrations and…