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Senate Begins Debate On FDA Regulation Of Tobacco
The Senate began debate Tuesday on whether to grant the Food and Drug Administration power to regulate tobacco products, Reuters reports. Debate began after an 84-11 procedural vote and could continue into next week. The Democratic-backed bill "would let the FDA oversee the packaging, marketing and manufacturing of cigarettes and other tobacco products, which have been linked to cancer and other illnesses and kill 400,000 Americans each year."
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Boldly Going Where No Medical Response Has Gone Before
Triage technology comes with a Star Trek twist, at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security"s Science & Technology Directorate (DHS S&T).
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Reports From The White House And Kaiser Family Foundation Address Health Care Disparities
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and White House Health Czar Nancy Ann DeParle held a discussion of minority health issues at the White House yesterday, where Sebelius "said the Obama administration is committed to addressing the "alarming disparity in the delivery of quality health care"," which she said was necessary to lower costs, the Associated Press reports. The White House also "issued a summary report on minority health care showing that African-Americans are seven times more likely as whites to have HIV/AIDS, that blacks and Hispanics have diabetes rates nearly twice as high as whites, and that black men are 50 percent more likely than whites to have prostate cancer" (Evans, 6/9).
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New: Interventional Radiology Coding Users' Guide

The 2009 Interventional Radiology Coding Users" Guide, a comprehensive re for endovascular and interventional procedures and services, is now available in both book and CD formats. This unique reference is made available by the Society of Interventional Radiology, a national organization of physicians, scientists and allied health professionals dedicated to improving public health through disease management and minimally invasive, image-guided therapeutic interventions. "It seems like there is no shortage of terms used to describe the procedures that interventional radiologists have developed and performed for several decades. This guide contains the rules, guidelines and systems in place that govern how coding should be done," said Gary P. Siskin, M.D., FSIR, editor of the 15th edition developed by SIR with the American College of Radiology, the Radiology Business Managers Association and the American Healthcare Radiology Administrators. "Physician volunteers have spent much time crafting, studying and evolving this system of coding in this time of much transition," added Siskin, an interventional radiologist at Albany Medical Center in Albany, N.Y. Current Procedural Terminology (or CPT®) codes are developed, maintained and copyrighted by the American Medical Association. As technology advances, new codes are developed for new services and current codes may be revised to reflect changes in procedure work as well as supplies and equipment used. This critical reference contains changes in CPT 2009 codes pertinent to interventional radiology; color-coded anatomical illustrations and photographs of interventional radiology procedures; evaluation and management charge sheets; template coverage request letters with supporting documentation for specific IR procedures; in-patient log and a sample registration form; and frequently asked questions. Also included is information about AMA"s CPT and Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) processes and the ongoing five-year review. RUC"s recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services significantly influence the relative values assigned to physician services and how doctors are paid. The guide also provides an overview of various Medicare payment systems and reimbursement for IR services performed in the freestanding setting. With the CD guide, users get interactive bookmarks and hyperlinks, linking concepts and codes with just one click. All new and significantly revised text is presented in red to support quick identification and review of changes from the 2008 edition. The 2009 reference contains completed updated 2009 IR coding charge sheets in Excel format, enabling customization to reflect the services provided by particular practices. Also included are evaluation and management charge sheets in Excel format, template coverage request letters with supporting documentation for IR procedures and an in-patient log in Word format that may be customized. The guide"s color-coded illustrations are separate JPG/GIF files, and photographs of several IR procedures are available as separate JPG files for office reference and presentations. The 2009 Interventional Radiology Coding Users" Guide is available for $249 to nonmembers of SIR; bulk purchase discounts are available. The 2009 Interventional Radiology Coding Users" Guide CD-ROM costs $275 for nonmembers of SIR. For more information, visit the Society of Interventional Radiology"s Web site at http://www.SIRweb.org or call (888) 695-9733. Maryann Verrillo Society of Interventional Radiology


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