Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Doctors Split On New Medicare Payment Reforms That Pay For Quality
Bloomberg: Specialist Doctors Head For Exit As U.S. Shifts Payment
The Obama administration's push to transform the way the U.S. pays for health care is splitting the medical profession, as family doctors embrace changes that oncologists, neurologists and other specialists are concerned will cause turmoil. The government set a timetable last week to extinguish Medicare's "fee-for-service" system, which rewards the quantity of care over quality. That's adding to pressure on physicians who have been debating whether to join their local hospital, merge their practices into ever-bigger groups or get out of medicine. (Wayne, 2/2)
The Fiscal Times: How the New Medicare Proposal Could Affect You
The Obama administration set a bold goal this week to change the way the government pays Medicare doctors. It hopes that by 2018, more than half of all payments will be tied to the quality of care doctors provide. (Ehley, 2/2)
The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot: FDA System For Reporting Side Effects Needs A ‘Thorough Overhaul:’ Study
A new analysis finds that the U.S. system for reporting side effects caused by prescription drugs may be producing an unfortunate side effect – incomplete information about injuries. And the reason appears to be haphazard reports filed by drug makers, according to the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices, a non-profit that tracks drug safety issues. The FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System is the primary vehicle for gathering information about side effects that may be caused by prescription medicines. Consumers and physicians may voluntarily report problems to the agency or a drug maker, while drug makers must investigate and then report any side effect that may be attributable to one of their products. (Silverman, 2/2)
