Drug Shortage Resources from ASCA
The following resources have been provided by the ASCA:
Many ASCs have been experiencing shortages of drugs, such as Fentanyl and Versed. While ASCA is working with other affected groups to find a long-term solution to this vexing problem, there are resources currently available where ASCs can help raise awareness of the…
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NPR Article – July 12, 2011 – Record Drug Shortages Strain Hospitals’ Ability To Cope
Record Drug Shortages Strain Hospitals’ Ability To Cope
by Scott Hensley
- July 12, 2011
If you’re hospitalized, here’s hoping you won’t need any succinylcholine,
a muscle relaxant; epinephrine in a syringe for severe allergic reactions;
or emergency-use syringes of lidocaine for irregular heartbeats.
All three of those drugs are high on the…
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MedPAC Releases March 2011 Report to Congress
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is an independent congressional agency established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105–33) to advise the U.S. Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program. Two reports—issued in March and June each year—are the primary outlets for Commission recommendations. In addition to annual reports and occasional reports on…
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Study Shows ASCs and Hospital Competition Economically Beneficial
A recent study by the University of Minnesota and University of North Dakota on behalf of the Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center shows that rural hospitals with an ASC located within one mile perform better economically than rural hospitals without an ASC located within one mile. Click here to read more…
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Hearst Website chronicles medical errors, urges consumer action
Every year approximately 200,000 American patients die preventable deaths as tools to make them safer go unused. Patients are in the dark about facilities’ safety records, yet only fragments of the government’s wealth of information is shared.
Click here to read more…
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Employer Health Benefits 2010 Annual Survey
The average employee contribution toward premiums for family coverage rose 14% in 2010 to nearly $4,000, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust in a report released September 2. Contributions for single coverage grew 15%. However, the total premium cost – that split by employer and employee – rose…
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US Senators Back Market Basket CMS Reform
More than 20 percent of US Senators signed a letter to CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, MD, asking his help in implementing the market basket index in the Medicare ASC payment system. Click here to read the letter.
At least one governor is optimistic about a US Senate vote on additional Medicaid dollars
Gov. Chris Gregoire is optimistic she won’t have to make deep cuts to state programs following a key Senate vote on additional federal Medicaid dollars.
The Senate voted 61-38 Wednesday morning to advance the bill, and is expected to vote on it later Wednesday or Thursday. It would extend programs enacted in last year’s…
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Americans Cut Back on Visits to Doctor
WSJ says insured Americans are using fewer medical services, raising questions about whether patients are consuming less health care as they pick up a greater share of the costs. Read more here.