Medicare Issues Proposed Rules for Electronic Health Record Incentive Program

January 13, 2010

All new Social Security disability claims are electronic. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued proposed rules (PDF version here) to provide incentives for health care providers to move to an electronic format. Anecdotally, this is a huge headache for doctors around the country who want to move electronic records for [...]

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SSA Sets Payment Rate for Medical Records

January 11, 2010

When Social Security works up a claim for disability benefits, it obtains medical records from the claimant’s health care providers. If those records are supplied electronically, SSA will pay $15 for the records:
SUMMARY: We have set $15 as the reasonable reimbursement to non-Federal medical providers for their costs in supplying medical records through health [...]

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Wicks Shooting Leads to Security Review

January 7, 2010

In the wake of a fatal shooting of a U.S. Marshal by Johnny Lee Wicks, a 66-year old male with a long criminal history, the U.S. Marshals service will conduct a review of its policies:
Federal authorities will conduct a nationwide review of courthouse security after a gunman killed a courthouse officer and wounded a deputy [...]

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You Say Yes, I Say No . . .

January 6, 2010

There’s a metaphor in here somewhere. May have something to do with good intentions and “The Man.”

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Pain in Maine: Unemployment Leads to Rise in Disability Applications

January 5, 2010

A short article and linked audio from the Maine Public Broadcasting Network recounts a familiar tale that’s being played out around the nation: a bad economy leads to rising numbers of unemployed folk which leads to more applications for disability benefits which leads to longer wait times before decisions are issued. Between 2008 [...]

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Social Security Commissioner Praises California Court Decision

January 4, 2010

In a press release issued today, Commissioner Astrue praised the California Supreme Court ruling that found that Governor Schwarzenegger’s decision to furlough employees of the California Disability Determination Service (DDS) was arbitrary, capricious and unlawful. (DDS is a state agency that contracts with Social Security to make disability decisions.) The governor’s policy didn’t [...]

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iPhone Features for the Visually Impaired

January 3, 2010

I bought an iPhone about a month ago, and I’m still discovering new features. I continue to be impressed with its intuitive and thoughtful design. And because I use the Daylite Touch app, I’ve got most of my practice at my fingertips. Add on a few native and third-party apps, and my iPhone [...]

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Happy (Apple) New Year!

January 2, 2010

Hope you have an awesome, incredible, great, amazing, really nice, really wonderful 2010!

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Jump-Starting Creativity

January 1, 2010

A collection of 33 tips via MacWorld from folks in the “creative industries” (as if creativity is confined to the artistic realm) that have analogs in the practice of law. Some of the tips — get rest, avoid distractions, turn off the email, makes some tea, get away from your desk when you’re stumped–apply [...]

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Proposed Regs on Electronic Health Records Released by Medicare and ONC

December 30, 2009

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The United States is moving towards complete digitization of medical records and these proposed regs, recently issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), create financial incentives for health care workers to make “meaningful use” of electronic health records [...]

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