Corporate Camouflage and Consolidation Colleagues: What do Lifetime Health, Elevance Health, and Highmark have in common? They are all rebranded BlueCross BlueShield firms, and they are consolidating this year. BCBS is smart to rebrand and hide behind their new corporate “parents,” because doing so makes it harder to recognize the severity of this market concentration.
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“Grateful Beyond Words”: How MSSNY Helped Me Recover Over $100,000 in Insurance Reimbursement MSSNY’s Payment & Practice Division recently received the following note from a grateful member: I cannot stress enough how grateful I am to Heather Lopez, Vice President of Physician Payment & Practice, for her help with an insurance reimbursement issue. After noticing
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Navigating the Pressures of Medical Training: Insights from Harvard Medical Students Harvard Medical School (HMS) is tackling the dual challenges faced by its students: providing compassionate care while maintaining their mental health amid an increasingly demanding medical landscape. Acknowledging the pressures brought about by corporatization, hospital consolidation, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, HMS
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2023 Physician Compensation Report: Top-Earning Specialties, Persistent Gender Pay Gaps, and the Burnout Epidemic Doximity’s latest Physician Compensation Report highlights key trends in physician salaries for 2023, showcasing the highest-paid specialties and metropolitan areas. Based on a survey of over 33,000 full-time physicians, the report indicates a 5.9% increase in average physician pay, rebounding after
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Information on Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) During the 2024 MSSNY House of Delegates, a resolution was passed calling upon MSSNY to raise awareness of the Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO) process amongst physicians and to provide linkage to the various websites available through the New York State court system. In New York, ERPO is
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Department of Health: Meningococcal Disease Linked to Umrah Travel The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has issued an advisory regarding recent cases of meningococcal disease linked to Umrah travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Since April 2024, 12 cases have been reported in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Most cases were
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MSSNY Alarmed at Passage of Grieving Families Act The Medical Society of the State of New York expressed alarm and “profound concern” at the Legislature’s passage of the Grieving Families Act, which would allow families in wrongful death cases to collect damages for emotional harm. “This new bill remains substantially similar to bills previously vetoed
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Cohen: Bill Would Worsen Issues in Health Care System This is the third time lawmakers have tried to expand New York’s wrongful death statute. State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal said in a statement that changes to the measure address concerns Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed in previous vetoes; however, MSSNY and the Healthcare Association of New York
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New York Times: Advocates Hope N.Y. Joins States with Legal Aid in Dying After about 10 years of trying, advocates for medical aid in dying legislation — again being considered by state lawmakers — are hoping to join the 10 other states and the District of Columbia where such aid for terminally ill patients is
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Are You Getting Insurance Claims Denials for Care You Provided While on Call for a Local ER? Are you getting insurance claims denials for care you provided while on call for a local hospital ER because you don’t have a Medicaid number? MSSNY has heard from some physicians about this practice but we need additional
