Research Continues To Support The Benefits Of Self-Hypnosis In Chronic Pain Management
Archives
All entries, chronologically...
State and school district-level policies mandating minimum requirements for in-school physical education and recess time are associated with increased odds of schools in those states and districts meeting physical activity recommendations for students, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
As we [American Psychological Association Practice Organization] reported last week, the situation on Capitol Hill has once again shifted dramatically with the failure of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to reach agreement on $1.2 trillion in debt savings. Legislative leaders have begun to discuss options to address critical, time-sensitive issues by the end of the year, including the expiration of unemployment benefits, the Alternative Minimum Tax patch, tax extenders and Medicare extenders.
The American College of Physicians (ACP) today told the 112th Congress to “go big” by reforming Medicare payments, including enacting a permanent end to scheduled Medicare sustainable growth rate (SGR) physician payment cuts. The urgent need for Congress to act was demonstrated by today’s release of a Medicare final rule, announcing a 27.4 percent across-the-board cut in Medicare payments to doctors on January 1, 2012.
All psychologists needs to take action NOW to encourage your legislators to stand up and talk to their colleagues on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to protect psychologist payments from steep Medicare cuts. Take Action! Included in this report are specific instructions on how you can take action.
As part of psychology’s ongoing effort to fight for the interests of the profession through the ongoing challenges facing Medicare reimbursement, American Psychological Association (APA) recently responded to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule on the 2012 Medicare fee schedule. Included in this report is a link to the comment letter.
Today, Judge Rhonda Hurley in Travis County District Court, Austin, Texas, upheld the ruling that the entry level to independent practice of psychology in Texas is the doctoral degree. Judge Hurley ruled that the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (TSBEP) has the authority to regulate the practice of Licensed Psychological Associates LPAs) through its rule making authority which states only doctoral‐trained, Licensed Psychologists may practice independently.
As we reported last week, the politics and process affecting Medicare reimbursement have changed significantly with the recent enactment of the Budget Control Act. House and Senate leaders have finished appointing twelve members to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, which is tasked with identifying at least $1.2 trillion in savings over the next ten years. If the Joint Committee fails to reach an agreement that can pass in both chambers, automatic cuts to Medicare and other programs would result, slashing provider reimbursement by up to an additional 2%.
While research using human embryonic stem cells has roused political controversy for almost two decades, little has been done to scientifically assess American attitudes on the subject. New research from the University of Nevada, Reno provides decision-makers with a much clearer picture of how their constituents truly feel about the subject.
A new study from George Mason University and the Urban Institute reveals that greater spending on medical services means better overall health for Medicare participants. Health Administration and Policy Professor Jack Hadley and his co-authors, Urban Institute researchers Timothy Waidmann, Stephen Zuckerman, and Robert Berenson, analyzed data from more than 17,000 Medicare beneficiaries to draw this conclusion.
A bioethics expert from the University of Abertay Dundee has denounced the public funding of homeopathy at a time where Scotland’s health budget is under unprecedented pressure. Speaking in the esteemed journal ‘Bioethics’, Dr. Kevin Smith says that Homeopathy is ‘ethically unacceptable’ and should be ‘actively rejected’ by healthcare and education providers.
