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Yellow Pages
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Yellow Pages
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Written by TAC Staff: Yellow Pages
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Wednesday, 29 February 2012 15:33 |
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Albequerque, NM: Acting on behalf of concerned members in New Mexico and out of concern for the integrity and credibility of the chiropractic profession at large, on December 21, 2011 the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) filed an extensive memorandum in support of a motion to stay what is being held to be illegal actions on the part of that state’s Board of Chiropractic Examiners. In its memorandum of explanation, ICA’s attorneys argued that it was important for the court to carefully consider the urgent issues of the letter of the law and the protection of both the public and chiropractic practitioners and prevent the “New Mexico Board of Chiropractic Examiners from implementing its new rule establishing an advanced practice formulary to include dangerous drugs and drugs to be administered by injection...and implementing its new rules establishing a certain course of training to certify advanced practice chiropractic physicians to administer and prescribe dangerous drugs and drugs to be administered by injection” because such actions were outside their authority under the law.
On August 30, 2011, at an official rulemaking hearing and meeting, the New Mexico Chiropractic Board adopted new rules to greatly expand the chiropractic formulary to include certain dangerous drugs and drugs to be administered by injection that had not been approved by either the New Mexico Medical or Pharmacy Boards as specifically required by state law. At that same hearing, lawyers representing the State of New Mexico were very clear in their advice that the Board was acting outside their authority and should not proceed. The Chiropractic Board ignored those admonitions and acted to adopt a new formulary anyway.
ICA representatives were present at both the August and December Board meetings and, in concert with New Mexico DCs, urged the Board to act only within the rules established by statute but to no avail. At their meeting of December 13, 2011, the New Mexico Chiropractic Board denied all requests to stay the implementation of the new rules pending appeal. ICA received official documentation of the New Mexico Chiropractic Board’s official denial of a request to stay the controversial rules on January 5, 2012. Having exhausted all administrative remedies, ICA is seeking the protection of the courts in the face of the Board’s questionable actions.
ICA’s attorneys filed the extensive memorandum of December 21, 2011 to document the urgent need for a court-ordered stay to stop the inappropriate Board actions as the evidence shows that the New Mexico Chiropractic Board knowingly violated the terms of the law and citizens and practitioners alike are clearly at risk as a result.
ICA has taken this extraordinary step to help prevent a serious unraveling of public confidence in the chiropractic profession and severe damage to the credibility of the chiropractic regulatory process in New Mexico. “The public must have absolute confidence that the process of licensing and regulating the practice of chiropractic in all states has been undertaken with complete honesty and meticulous care to obey not only the letter but the spirit of the law as established by state legislatures,” said ICA President Dr. Gary L. Walsemann. “Regrettably, this does not appear to be the case with the current New Mexico Board of Chiropractic Examiners and action in the courts on ICA’s part was clearly the right thing to do.”
Source: Now You Know Newsletter
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Yellow Pages
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Written by TAC Staff: Yellow Pages
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Saturday, 28 January 2012 05:20 |
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 SITKA, AK: -- A Sitka resident conducting an Internet search recently helped reveal that the personal information of more than 500 patients of a local chiropractor was available on the Web. Dr. Paul Beane, a chiropractor at the Sitka Wellness Center, told the Sentinel an "electronic medical record software vendor" he used for about nine months in 2008 had stored patient information, including names, dates of birth, social security numbers and addresses, on a Web server in an "unsecured text file" that was easily accessible. Beane said up to 566 of his patients had their information compromised, although Sitka police said there have not yet been any reports about suspicious activity that might be tied to the security breach.
He said he "recognized a lot of the names" on the patient list. The patient information has since been removed from the Web and Beane said he is working with Google to have it scrubbed from Internet archives as well. It is not clear how long the information was available on the Internet. Beane put the blame for the leak squarely on EMR4Doctors.com, a company Beane used when he switched to electronic records in April, 2008. "I'm absolutely furious that this happened," Beane said.
Beane said he used the software provider from about April 2008 to January 2009, when he switched back to paper records. The company, which Beane said is registered in Nevada, apparently stopped doing business in 2009. A number for the company was disconnected, and there was no current listing for it in Las Vegas. Beane said he did not believe the records were posted intentionally, but called the security breach "sloppy and careless." Allen said that until police receive a report about the information being used fraudulently, no criminal charges will be made. He said police would probably "package up" the information they have about the case and send it to the state attorney general in the next few days. "Until somebody uses the information it's more of a civil issue," Allen said. Beane, who is working with a lawyer in Pennsylvania, said he was "exploring his legal options," which could include a civil lawsuit against the software vendor.
Source: The Anchorage Daily News
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Yellow Pages
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Written by TAC Staff: Yellow Pages
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Saturday, 28 January 2012 05:16 |
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Phoenix, AZ: A group of chiropractors today called on Gov. Jan Brewer to fire the director of the Arizona Department of Insurance for not upholding a law they say requires insurance companies to cover chiropractic services.
Dr. Alan Immerman, president of the Arizona Chiropractic Association, claimed Insurance Director Christine Urias is "beholden" to insurance companies, particularly Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, which pays $44 for a chiropractic visit no matter how much treatment is provided and requires the patient to make a $40 co-payment.
Immerman said the insurance company will then pay only $4 on the visit and then only allow six to seven visits no matter how bad off the patient is.
"Health insurance will pay fully for patients to get treatment for back and neck problems when they're seen by medical and osteopathic doctors, but will pay next to nothing if the patient is seen by chiropractors," Immerman said.
The result, Immerman said, is that hundreds of chiropractors are going out of business.
A call to Urias' office was not immediately returned.
Regena Frieden, a Blue Cross Blue Shield spokeswoman, said in an email the company tries to maintain a balance between rising healthcare costs and coverage for services.
She said the company works with a vendor who contracts with 850 chiropractors that have agreed to accept its reimbursement rates.
Source: Arizona Capitol Times
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Yellow Pages
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Written by TAC Staff: Yellow Pages
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Saturday, 28 January 2012 05:09 |
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Los Angeles, CA: "She Won't Crack My Back 'Cause I'm a Scientology Reject". "Young and the Restless" star Michael Fairman has filed a lawsuit against a Scientologist chiropractor -- claiming she refused to see him and his family after he was excommunicated from the Church.
Fairman claims he was a prominent member of the Church, but became disenchanted with the way the Church was running things. Fairman claims Church leaders got fed up with him earlier this year, branded him and his wife "suppressive persons" and blacklisted the family from all things Scientology.
After Fairman was ousted, the actor claims he received a letter from the family chiropractor -- an active Scientologist -- informing him she would no longer treat the Fairman family. Fairman also claims she refused to hand over a copy of the family's medical records.
In the lawsuit, Fairman claims he MUST have been discriminated against because he's no longer with the Church -- noting that he's been a good, paying customer since 2003.
Source: TMZ
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Yellow Pages
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Written by TAC Staff: Yellow Pages
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Sunday, 18 December 2011 01:50 |
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - WellPoint affiliated plans are adding Medicare Advantage (MA) products in 136 counties in 11 states this year, encompassing a population of more than 1 million people eligible for Medicare. MA plans incorporate Medicare Parts A (hospital) and B (medical) into one convenient product that may include additional benefits. Part D also can be added for drug coverage (MAPD). More than 12 million people across the country have a MA plan, according to America's Health Insurance Plans.
"We're very excited to get approval from the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services for this expansion, which is one of our biggest ever," said Julie G. Smith, a vice president in WellPoint's senior business. "These plans will help provide people eligible for Medicare with more choices for their health care within their respective markets."
As a result of the expansion, Medicare eligibles in 74 counties in six states will have access to a WellPoint affiliated health plan for the very first time. The largest expansions to new counties are occurring in Georgia, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin. Premiums vary by geography, including some $0 premium plans. Additionally, people in many counties that were already served by WellPoint affiliated plans will have access to new products. For example, they may have access to a WellPoint local PPO or HMO plan for the very first time.
The products are being sold during the 2011 plan Annual Election Period (AEP), which runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 this year, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2012. Also during AEP, the WellPoint affiliated plans are offering Optional Supplemental Benefits (OSBs) in 12 states. OSBs cover additional services that may not be covered in the member's Medicare Advantage health plan, such as dental, vision, chiropractic services and acupuncture. Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in an optional supplemental benefit package when they enroll in their 2012 MAPD or for up to 90 days after their plan effective date. OSBs require an additional premium.
"Baby Boomers are aging into Medicare with many interests and goals," Smith said. "We're developing products like OSBs to give them a variety of choices."
In addition to MA and MAPD plans and OSBs, WellPoint affiliated plans offer Medicare Supplement plans with extra benefits available for purchase called "Anthem Extras." Medicare has neither reviewed nor endorsed this information. Benefits and premium may change on January 1, 2013. The benefit information provided herein is a brief summary, not a comprehensive description of benefits. For more information contact the plan.
Source: WellPoint, Inc.
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