American College of Gastroenterology » News

Plan to fix Medicare doctor payment gains some steam

jgaulin — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:26:18 +0000

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., garnered some support Tuesday for his plan to solve the Medicare physician payment issue. Revised cost estimates for addressing the problem could help after the Congressional Budget Office lowered the projected price tag to $138 billion over the next 10 years from $245 billion. Kaiser Health News/Capsules blog (2/27)

ACG note: ACG was recently invited to meet with congressional committee staff from the House of Representatives Committees on Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce to discuss repealing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula and reforming the Medicare reimbursement system. ACG believes that if Congress chooses to repeal SGR with a reimbursement system based on quality reporting, specialty societies should be looked to when defining what is considered “quality of care.” These measures will be more clinically meaningful and will improve patient outcomes.

Feds clarify colonoscopy cost-sharing under ACA

jgaulin — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:25:03 +0000

Final rules on essential health benefits under the Affordable Care act clarify cost-sharing for colonoscopy. The guidance stipulates that private insurers cannot impose patient cost-sharing for any polyp removal during recommended colorectal cancer screenings, which are fully covered. The Washington Post/WonkBlog (2/20

Study: Ethnicity plays role in recurrent diverticulitis

jgaulin — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 13:23:39 +0000

A study found African-Americans and obese people were more likely to have recurrent colonic diverticulitis and to need surgery for it, according to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Compared with other ethnic groups, black patients had surgery rates two times higher, Hispanics were 50% less likely to need surgery and white patients had half the risk of getting recurrent diverticulitis. DailyRx.com (2/20)

Study supports less-invasive Barrett’s treatment

jgaulin — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:22:23 +0000

Endoluminal therapy effectively treats patients with Barrett’s esophagus and high-grade dysplasia or intramucosal carcinoma, according to researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Esophagectomy is the standard treatment, but researchers noted that endoluminal therapy, which uses endoscopic mucosal resection and ablation, is less invasive than surgery. Medscape (free registration) (2/15)

Exchanges will be ready by Oct. 1, HHS tells Congress

jgaulin — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:21:24 +0000

HHS official Gary Cohen assured a Senate panel that all 50 state health insurance markets would meet the enrollment deadline on Oct. 1. Senators from both parties raised concerns about how affordable plans on the exchanges will be. Reuters (2/14)

Study explores factors behind recurrent H. pylori infection

jgaulin — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:19:55 +0000

Factors such as age, gender and initial treatment compliance may be as important as antibiotics in the recurrence of Helicobacter pylori infection, which is a risk factor for gastric cancer, Vanderbilt University researchers said. “Programs will be more effective if tailored to the demographics and community ecology of their target populations,” the study authors wrote. MedPage Today (free registration) (2/12)

Low-volume bowel prep effective, easy to use, study finds

jgaulin — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:43:30 +0000

A low-volume bowel cleanser approved in July for use in the U.S. is as effective as standard colonoscopy preparations, according to researchers at Albert Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia. The report, published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, found study participants who used the preparation, which contains sodium picosulfate and magnesium citrate, reacted favorably to the taste and ease of consumption. Read the study. Medscape (free registration)/Reuters (1/29)

Gene study explores mechanisms behind peptic ulcers

jgaulin — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:40:38 +0000

University of Liverpool researchers identified a single nucleotide polymorphism in a gene cluster that may play a role in the risk of peptic ulcers among people who use nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory treatments. Adults with peptic ulcer disease who were genotyped for the study were twice as likely to use NSAIDs as those without the condition. Statistical analysis found a link between an SNP in the cytochrome P450 2C cluster — important for metabolism of drugs and endogenous compounds — and peptic ulcer disease, independent of infection with Helicobacter pylori or NSAID use. MedWire News (U.K.) (1/31)

Agency releases final Sunshine Act rule

jgaulin — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:38:23 +0000

CMS has released the final rule for the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, requiring drug and device companies to gather information on gifts, payments and other value transfers provided to doctors and teaching hospitals starting Aug. 1. The rule also requires manufacturers and group purchasing organizations to report ownership and investment interests by physicians. Modern Healthcare (subscription required) (2/1)

ACG note: ACG is currently reviewing the regulation to determine the impact on physicians as well as provider-related educational courses. Review ACG’s comment letter to this proposed rule.

Method assesses UC treatment compliance, study says

jgaulin — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:11:53 +0000

Measuring urine salicylate levels is one way to evaluate treatment compliance among patients with ulcerative colitis who are taking mesalamine, according to a study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. Study author Dr. Alan Moss of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said patient reports of compliance are not reliable. “The reality is that many patients skip doses or pills. We know from other studies that these patients are more likely to experience disease relapses, and have higher health care costs over time,” Moss said. Read the abstract. Healio (1/22)