2010-01-27

President Obama Expected to Renew Call for Health Reform in State of the Union Address
President Obama is set to deliver his first State of the Union address at 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 27. It is expected that the President’s speech will focus on a number priorities, including health reform, providing economic relief and tax cuts to middle class families, reforming the nation’s public education system, and freezing most federal discretionary spending. Read more.

Medicare Physician Payment “Fix” Has Unclear Future
It continues to remain unclear how Congress will fix Medicare physician payment when the temporary physician payment freeze Congress implemented to prevent a 21 percent Medicare physician fee cut expires February 28, 2010. Read more.

ASH Urges Inclusion of Clinical Trials Coverage Provision in Final Health Reform Bill
As congressional leaders continue efforts to reach a final agreement on health reform legislation, ASH has joined with a number of organizations to send a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) urging the inclusion of a provision to require coverage of routine patient costs associated with clinical trial participation in the final bill. Read more.

CMS Releases a Revised Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Fact Sheet
The revised Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Fact Sheet, which provides general information about the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) including MPFS payment rates and the MPFS payment rates formula, is now available to download from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Learning Network.

2009 ASH Quick Reference: The Evaluation and Management of Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia
ASH has developed a pocket-sized Quick Reference guide based on The American College of Chest Physicians Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline on Antithrombotic and Thrombolytic Therapy. This free resource fits in a lab coat pocket and provides information on several topics including history, physical examination and laboratory diagnosis, a diagnosis and initial treatment algorithm, selection dosing and monitoring of non-heparin anticoagulants and special populations. Download the electronic version of the pocket guide or request a hard copy, while supplies last.

Earn CME Through Blood Articles
ASH has partnered with Medscape to provide hematologists with an opportunity to earn Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits by testing their comprehension of clinical articles published in Blood. One CME article will appear in the journal in the fourth week of every month. Medscape is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide CME for physicians, and this activity will be administered by Medscape. A maximum of 0.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ can be earned through the inaugural January 28 article, and future articles may offer more credit. There is no charge to participants to earn CME credits through this program. Check out the journal's inaugural article tomorrow by visiting Blood online.