by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 20, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight, Healthcare Payment Policy
A U.S. District Court in Alabama has given preliminary approval to a landmark antitrust settlement involving Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), calling for the insurer to pay $2.8 billion into a settlement fund designated for settlement class members, including...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 17, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
JAMA has published a patient handout explaining the categories of weight loss medications. You have to sign in to download the PDF, but anyone can view it in the link. The need for clinicians of all types to be engaged in conversations with patients about obesity is...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 15, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
Given that the new Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs) on CTPs/skin subs are almost surely going to be implemented on Feb 12th, it’s likely that patients are going to be asked to sign Advanced Beneficiary Notices (ABNs) around their use. I got an interesting email...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 13, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
WHATLEY KALLAS TO HOST WEBINARS FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS ON HOW TO SUBMIT CLAIMS IN THE $2.8 BILLION BCBS ANTITRUST SETTLEMENT – Whatley Kallas Whatley Kallas, LLP, who served as co-lead counsel on behalf of medicine in the recent Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 8, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight, Miscellaneous Musings
Yes, I admit it, what I find interesting often seems sort of random. The outward manifestation of my thought processes appears as organized as the typical sock drawer, but bear with me. I am interested in the whole topic of “off-label” use of drugs and devices since...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Jan 6, 2025 | Fight the Good Fight
Congress left for the holidays without addressing the 2.83% pay cut for doctors. The American Medical Association (AMA) and many other physician organizations have lobbied for a permanent, inflation-based payment update as recommended by the Medicare Payment Advisory...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 23, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Nutrition & Wound Healing
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) just released a report on Medicaid spending for 10 selected diabetes and 2 weight loss drugs which showed that spending substantially increased from $1.5 billion in 2019 to $9.4 billion in 2023 (a 540% increase). From 2019 to...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 17, 2024 | Do the Right Thing: Thoughts on Quality, Fight the Good Fight, Healthcare Payment Policy, US Wound Registry
It’s almost time! Join us today for our exclusive webinar, “Quality Measures: Why they don’t mean anything, but maybe everything.” Dec 17 | 4 PM EST Click Here to Register Caroline Fife, M.D.Dr. Fife is a world renowned wound care physician dedicated to...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 9, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight, Medicare Audits
Attorney Knicole Emanuel has published another fascinating blog! Check out her discussion about the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) and the False Claims Act (FCA). Many practitioners are undergoing the full alphabet soup of Medicare audits (TPE, UPIC, SMERC, RAC,...
by Caroline Fife, M.D. | Dec 6, 2024 | Fight the Good Fight
I saw this patient almost 5 years ago, but her case is one of those that I can’t get out of my mind. I now understand what I was looking at, but I didn’t understand it at the time. The woman was in her late 60’s and an orthopedic surgeon sent her to me because she...
