News From Around the Web
> Medicare patients who need durable medical equipment must now meet with doctors face-to-face before getting these items, WFPL News reported. The new requirement is meant to curb equipment-related fraud and abuse. Article
> Florida put sharper teeth into its data breach notice law, making it one of the most demanding in the nation, JD Supra Business Advisor reported. The revised law requires notification to affected persons within 30 days of breach determination and adds a parallel requirement to advise the state attorney general's office of incidents affecting more than 500 state residents. Article
> On average, Medicare and Medicaid pay cheaper unit prices than the U.S. Department of Defense for 78 highly utilized prescription drugs, according to results of a new Government Accountability Office study. Abstract
> To reduce the backlog of Medicare Part B appeals awaiting administrative law judge review, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is letting long-term care providers dispute certain denials through "settlement conference facilitation," McKnight's Long Term Care News reported. Article
Practice Management News
> While many doctors still operate on a fee-for-service basis, insurers are moving toward value-based reimbursement that focuses more on quality, transparency and accountability, reports Forbes. Article
> Earlier this month, FierceHealthFinance reported that hospitals raised objections to health plans' use of so-called virtual credit cards to pay claims, chiefly because they subject providers to transaction fees of up to 5 percent. Article
And Finally... Woman impersonates doctor to give men physicals. Article