Index 2006: AMNews editorials

Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec - 2005 - 2007

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Keeping children safe online
The Internet age presents a new range of public health and safety concerns that require awareness and involvement. - Dec. 25

Hospital standards worth your attention
Strong medical staffs are key to patient safety. - Dec. 18

Bioidentical hormone replacement: Safety requires oversight
The AMA at its November Interim Meeting adopted policy calling for FDA surveys of compounded hormones' purity and for adverse event reporting. - Dec. 11

Right to reimbursement
Courts in at least one state -- Florida -- say health plans should be accountable for payment delays or underpayments to out-of-network doctors treating emergency cases. - Dec. 4

Clearing the on-screen air
Anti-tobacco advocates step up the effort to ensure that movies don't glorify smoking for young viewers. - Nov. 27

Medical liability: Florida voters speak, but no one listens
A voter-approved amendment would have ensured patients a greater share of damages and cut the number of nonmeritorious lawsuits. But the state Supreme Court rejected it. - Nov. 20

An e-visit primer
The AMA has developed a brochure to give guidance to member physicians interested in offering electronic consults. - Nov. 13

Making things clear on cost and quality
President Bush's order for transparency is good, but it's only one step to ensure that patients get the correct read on doctors' costs and effectiveness. - Nov. 6

Knowledge is power: Testing everyone for HIV status
New CDC recommendations call for streamlining HIV testing processes to facilitate widespread screening. - Oct. 23/30

Schedule II drug rule only a first step
A DEA-proposed regulation will help physicians with one aspect of pain prescribing, but more needs to be done. - Oct. 16

Physician-owned specialty hospitals: Lifting ban will lift quality of care
The facilities give physicians more control and give patients high-quality care in an appealing setting. - Oct. 9

Safeguards needed for doctor ID numbers
The National Provider Identifier makes for an easier time filling out forms, but if CMS doesn't look out, it could make for an easier time preying on physicians. - Oct. 2

New uninsured figures: A powerful reminder
As the tally of the uninsured continues to grow, the need for both short- and long-term action is more acute. - Sept. 25

Easing medical student debt: Some solutions
Medical school tuition is soaring, and so are the amounts of money students owe when they graduate. A team effort is needed to reduce the burden. - Sept. 18

Time running out to fix Medicare pay
Without legislative action, physician Medicare reimbursement would be cut 5.1% next year and about 40% over the next nine years. - Sept. 11

Revving the IT train
Efforts to create a physicians "buyer's guide" for electronic medical records, and loosening of Stark rules so others can pay for doctors' systems, are encouraging. But it's not yet enough to get physicians to embrace completely the idea of going electronic. - Sept. 4

Putting away the salt shaker
The AMA is backing a new set of recommendations to reduce sodium intake and improve health. - Aug. 28

Freedom from SLAPP suits: The right to speak up for patients
The courts need to continue to protect physicians who speak out in order to advocate for patients and to ensure that patient care isn't jeopardized. - Aug. 21

Organ donation: Medical ethics and public appeals
A new AMA ethical policy calls for study of the effects of public solicitation for live organ donors and offers guidance for physicians. - Aug. 14

In-store health clinics: Convenience is not enough
The AMA establishes guidelines that aim to ensure that in-store clinics don't have an adverse effect on patients' long-term health or the patient-physician relationship. - Aug. 7

Building a better drug ad: Direct-to-consumer marketing
New AMA recommendations are designed to ensure that advertising is not misleading. - July 24/31

Medical staff autonomy a must: Courts take note
An Illinois appeals court ruling would let hospitals ignore important medical staff bylaws. - July 17

Personal responsibility: New part of health insurance coverage solution
The AMA adopts policy supporting a requirement that people with the means to buy coverage do so. - July 10

Strengthen prompt-pay laws: Insurer payment still too slow
Physicians report that insurers are finding loopholes that, at the least, violate the spirit of such laws. States must pass stricter laws to make sure these loopholes are closed. - July 3

Draining soda's impact: Less sugar a sweeter solution
Efforts to limit the availability of sweetened drinks -- especially for young people -- are gaining attention in the fight against obesity. - June 26

Only the best science belongs in court: Limits on witness testimony needed
Judges need to ensure that expert witness testimony that goes before a jury is based on ideas that are generally accepted in the medical community. - June 19

Drug reps and prescribing data: Doctors can choose to say no
A new AMA program allows physicians to elect not to have information on their prescribing patterns shared with pharmaceutical sales representatives. - June 12

Health plan consolidation: Bigger isn't better
It's time to re-examine a system that's allowed health plans to build overwhelming power in local markets. - June 5

Medicine's democracy in action: Coming soon at the AMA meeting
The AMA House of Delegates will convene next month for its Annual Meeting, following a tradition of grassroots policy development that has been in place for more than a century. - May 22/29

A victory for medical staff autonomy: Physicians win in Florida
Another court has recognized that medical staff bylaws are key to helping physicians protect patients. - May 15

Easing the Part D burden: A new tool will help
A one-page form makes it easier for physicians to seek exceptions to Medicare drug plans' formulary rules. - May 8

Mass. appeal: A plan to cover the uninsured
As Cover the Uninsured Week kicks off, one state takes a giant step toward solving the problem of Americans who lack health insurance. - May 1

Planning for a pandemic: Are you ready?
Federal experts offer a checklist to help physicians take steps to prepare their practices. - April 24

Broader patents, lesser care: Avoiding fear of infringement
The U.S. Supreme Court should strike down a ruling on "correlation" patents that threatens to turn physicians into violators just for doing their work. - April 17

The AMA Foundation: 56 years of giving
The philanthropic arm of the AMA helps support physician education, medical research and patient care. - April 10

New look, same mission: A newspaper of a different color
The AMNews masthead color changes from green to the signature purple of its publisher, the American Medical Association. - April 3

No role for physicians in executions: Going against the oath
Court action regarding California's lethal injection procedure required physicians to take a strong ethical position. - March 27

21 reasons why we need tort reform now: The case for states
The number of states in a medical liability crisis is spreading -- and will continue to spread -- unless lawmakers pass meaningful reforms. - March 20

New drug labels: Easing information overload
The American Medical Association applauds the Food and Drug Administration's attempt to make medication package inserts easier for physicians to digest. - March 13

AMA's advocacy agenda: Driven by physicians
The AMA, with the input of its members, has targeted six key issues for 2006. - March 6

Medicare pay formula: Overhaul is needed
Congressional action saves physicians from a scheduled pay cut and adds momentum to the push for a change in the way Medicare pays doctors. - Feb. 27

Tort reform: The truth of the matter
As state legislatures and Congress get ready for another round of tort reform bills, doctors need to be ready to dispel incorrect facts bantered about in the debate. - Feb. 20

Bridging the language gap: For patients with limited English skills
A new AMA video offers information to doctors on how to communicate with patients who speak a different language. - Feb. 13

Health plan mergers: More oversight needed
While it was good to see the Justice Dept. put some conditions on a health plan merger, even stricter regulation is needed. - Feb. 6

5 steps to a healthy new year: Sticking to your resolutions
Starting a new calendar presents an opportunity to start down a healthier path. - Jan. 30

No smoking at work: Let's broaden effort
Workplace smoking bans are needed, and some existing city laws could be stronger. - Jan. 23

A home for medicine's history and heritage
Progress is being made in the important effort to establish a National Health Museum - Jan. 16

Insurers must be specific about payment information
If consumer-directed health care is going to work, insurers need to make more accurate information about pricing available to patients and their physicians. - Jan. 2/9

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