Friday catch-up and fast reads

Physician dispensing – it’s not just for Americans any more!

From the Harvard Business Review comes this item; Chinese docs prescribe waaaay too many antibiotics – because that’s how they make money.

Antibiotics are often prescribed unnecessarily for colds in China, in part because hospitals sell medications directly to patients and doctors’ bonuses often depend on drug revenue, says a team led by Janet Currie of Princeton. In a past study by other researchers, two-thirds of patients visiting clinics with mild cold or flu symptoms received inappropriate prescriptions for antibiotics, and many were advised to take powerful “second-line” antibiotics that are supposed to be reserved for serious illnesses. These prescriptions impose substantial costs on patients, raise the risk of side effects, and foster growth of drug-resistant “superbugs,”

Here’s hoping WC docs don’t “reverse engineer” Chinese business practices.

Hiring

The Hartford is looking for a medical director; evidently Rob Bonner MD will be retiring.  This is one of those great opportunities for business-oriented work comp docs; the Hartford’s Medical Director has real authority and responsibility.

Journalism

Much as I respect the folks at R&I, their latest “editor’s choice” had me scratching my head about a piece from the Washington Examiner – It’s a climate-change denier piece asserting that we may be in for a century of cooling due to…wait for it…sunspots.

C’mon.  There have been 2528 peer-reviewed articles about climate change over the last year.  A grand total of one – yes, that’s one – rejected man-made global warming.  And that lone article was in the Herald of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Principled and soundly-researched discussion is critically important – but only when it is reality-based.

Exchange enrollment

Exchange enrollment data is pretty mixed; numbers are way up in California and New York but most folks who are eligible for Medicaid or for subsidies via the Exchanges don’t know they are eligible.  Not surprisingly, the Latino enrollment data in California has been disappointing – to say the least.

On the federal side, enrollment seems to be much below expectations, even after the end-of-the-year push.  Whether things will pick up a lot before the March drop-dead date remains to be seen…

One factor affecting enrollment in many states may be that fourteen have enacted so-called “navigator suppression” laws; legislation that hinders/prevents/makes it difficult for the people who are supposed to help the uninsured enroll do their job. (thanks to Julie for the tip).

Impairment ratings

In one of the more esoteric  – but nonetheless significant conversations of the last week, I learned that many of the impairment ratings done in Texas are wrong – for a multitude of reasons.  Evidently those done by chiros are often (like 80% often) much higher than they should be, and medical doctors aren’t a whole lot better.  TX payers that aren’t reviewing ratings to make sure they are right may be paying out a whole lot more than they should – especially if those ratings are above 15%, the “magic number” where big payouts kick in.

Enjoy the frosty weekend – high this week in upstate NY has been 8 degrees.  Get out and enjoy!