On November 29, the House sent legislation to the President postponing the 23% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut one month through December 31, 2010. The bill (HR 5712) passed the House by voice vote and the Senate by unanimous consent. Congressional Quarterly reports that the President is expected to quickly sign the bill. ...

The American College of Physicians (ACP) today is sending a video to Congressional leaders and others that features internists – speaking in their own words – issuing a heartfelt plea for Congress to avert the scheduled Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut and work toward putting an end to the repeated cycle of cuts. The 3-minute and 25-second video emphasizes how patients, in particular, will be hurt ...

On November 18 the Senate passed legislation postponing the 23% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut one month through December 31, 2010. The bill (HR 5712) passed by unanimous consent and is expected to be considered by the House on November 29. Included in this announcement is a "call to action" with links and a suggested letter that will help you contact your Congressperson. ...

A new study of young offenders has revealed they have a significantly higher rate of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) than that expected in society as a whole. Researchers at the University of Exeter also found TBI was associated with a greater number of convictions and, when there were three or more TBIs, greater violence in offending. The research, published online on 10 November in the journal Neuropsycholog ...

Next week the House and Senate return for the lame duck session, and they face critical Medicare reimbursement issues. If they fail to act, the 23% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut will take effect on December 1 and the 5% psychotherapy payment restoration will expire on December 31. Psychology needs your help to ensure Congress fulfills its responsibility to Medicare patients and providers in the few shor ...

As you know, in July the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its proposed rule on the 2011 Medicare fee schedule, which reflected an expected cut to all services as a result of the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and changes to the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) payments, as well as revisions to the medical economic index (MEI) that would significantly negatively i ...

A highly publicized Grady Nelson Death Penalty Trial Sets national precedent with Florida Circuit Court Judge Hogan-Scola’s admission of QEEG [quantitative electroencephalography] brain mapping evidence. “This may be the first time in any United States criminal courtroom where QEEG analysis has been ruled admissible and respected for its ability to provide vital information on brain injury and impairment,” ...

A comprehensive review of national opinion polls, including newly released data, shows that those who say they intend to vote for a Democratic congressional candidate in 2010 and those who say they intend to vote for a Republican in their district hold starkly different views of what they want the future of health reform legislation to be, mirroring the divide between Democratic and Republican leaders in Co ...

Budgetary constraints are one of the principal factors that limit the US Food & Drug Administration's ability to conduct frequent and rigorous site inspections of pharmaceutical manufacturers, according to research published in the International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management. ...

As you know, Members of Congress have returned home to their districts to compete in the 2010 midterm elections. The House and Senate are expected to return to Washington for a lame duck session beginning the week of November 15, and they will have two short weeks to complete action on the "must-pass" Medicare bill to prevent the 23% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut from taking effect on December 1. It is ...