MedWorm: Bonuses

Coventry renews contract with CEO Allen Wise

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:35:22 +0100

Coventry Health Care Inc. has extended CEO Allen Wise's contract for two years, securing his services through Dec. 31, 2013, and boosting his compensation to new heights. Effective Jan. 1, Wise earns $900,000 in base salary annually and will be eligible for up to $1.8 million in bonuses each year, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing made public Monday. Furthermore, Wise will receive $7.6 million worth of stock awards in both 2012 and 2013 that would become payable upon the the health insurer's reaching earnings-per-share and revenue targets... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

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WellPoint Bets (A Bit) On Primary Care

Forbes.com Healthcare News — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:10:15 +0100

A news article on the front page of Friday’s Wall Street Journal described how WellPoint, the nation’s second largest insurer, will begin paying extra bonuses to primary care doctors in its network. These bonuses will add $100,000 in revenue for participating physicians. WellPoint, which runs Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in 14 states, says that the change is needed because the health system devalues internists and family doctors. A chart accompanying the article compares median salaries of primary care doctors ($200,000) to specialists like orthopedists ($500,000), and urologists ($375,000). (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)

Who came up with the model for excessive pay? No, it wasn't the bankers – it was academics | Aditya Chakrabortty

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:30:01 +0100

All the focus has been on bankers' bonuses, yet no one has looked at the economists who argued for rewarding bosses by giving them a bigger financial stake in their companiesTake a big step back. Ignore those sterile debates about how Dave screwed up over Stephen Hester's pay and where this leaves Ed. Instead, ask this: which profession has done most to justify the millions handed over to the boss of RBS, his colleagues and counterparts? Which group has been most influential in making the argument that top people deserve top pay? Not the executives themselves – at least, not directly. Nor the headhunters. Try the economists.The ground rules for the system by which City bankers, Westminster MPs and ordinary taxpayers live today were set by two US economists just a couple of decades ago. I...

Stephen Hester: perhaps his potty training was to blame

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:48:38 +0100

Why was the RBS chief so keen to hang on to all that money? Glad you asked …What's the matter with socialism? I think it's rather a good idea. "You're not talking about communism, are you?" says Rosemary, panicking. "You mustn't even say that word out loud." Of course not. I wouldn't dream of it. I just fancy more equal sharesies.Rosemary agrees. "Do you remember that dripping-down theory," says she. "I didn't notice anything dripping down on us in a benevolent way, did you?"No I didn't. It seems to me that capitalism isn't working, because it's making people poorly. Look at that Mr Hester. He is not a well man. How could he be? Why cling for so long to his bonus even though the whole country was horrified, Jesus deplored such behaviour, politicians were begging him to give up his bonus,...

How are Personality Judgments Made? A Cognitive Model of Reference Group Effects, Personality Scale Responses, and Behavioral Reactions

Journal of Personality — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractThis paper suggests that personality judgments are wholly relative, being the outcome of a comparison of a given individual to a reference group of others. The underlying comparison processes are the same as are used to judge psychophysical stimuli (as outlined by Range Frequency Theory and Decision by Sampling accounts). Five experimental studies show that the same person's personality is rated differently depending on how their behavior (a) ranks within a reference group, and (b) falls within the overall range of behavior shown by other reference group members. Results were invariant across stimulus type and response options (seven point Likert scale, 990 point allocation task, or dichotomous choice). Simulated occupational scenarios led participants to give different sized bonus...

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Oncothyreon appoints new CMO and awards big bonuses to company leaders

bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:49:28 +0100

Editor's note: This story has been edited to correct Dr. Hausman's title. She is Chief Medical Officer of Oncothyreon. Seattle-based biotech Oncothyreon Inc. promoted Dr. Diana Hausman to Chief Medical Officer, the company announced Thursday. Hausman had been the vice president of clinical development for Oncothyreon (NASDAQ: ONTY) since August 2009. "Diana has been instrumental in the advancement of our oncology pipeline,” said Robert Kirkman, Oncothyreon's president and CEO, in a statement... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)

Geron exec leaves with severance, consulting deal

bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:37:06 +0100

Jane Lebkowski, one of four Geron Corp. executives to pull down six-figure bonuses late last month, left the company Dec. 31 with $368,500 in severance pay, 12 months of health care coverage and an extension on exercisable stock options. Lebkowski, the Menlo Park-based company’s chief scientific officer, also entered into a two- to five-month consulting agreement with Geron (NASDAQ: GERN) that will pay $400 per hour, according to a company filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Geron, which shuttered its stem cell therapy program to concentrate on cancer drugs, said in mid-November that Lebkowski would be leaving... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Pharmaceuticals headlines)

Alabama to get $19.8M bonus for simplifying children's insurance program

bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:48:40 +0100

Alabama will receive $19.8 million in Children’s Health Insurance Program performance bonus awards for fiscal year 2011, according to a news release from the Department of Health & Human Services. Performance bonuses, which were established by the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009, provide additional federal funding for qualifying states that have taken specific steps to simplify Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollment and renewal procedures and have also increased enrollment of children above a baseline level... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines)

Washington Week: Medicaid Pays Bonuses to States

MedPage Today Public Health — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:00:00 +0100

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- It was a slow healthcare news week in Washington as most of the key players were out of town, but a few nuggets emerged, including a Department of Health and Human Services announcement of Medicaid bonus payments for states, and a foe-turned-supporter of Pres. Obama's healthcare overhaul announcing his retirement from the U.S. Senate. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

$300 million in CHIP bonuses awarded to states

MD Consult: News: Top Stories — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Read the full story on MD Consult: $300 million in CHIP bonuses awarded to states (Source: MD Consult: News: Top Stories)

Ellis Medicine, Nathan Littauer land state grants

bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:45:50 +0100

Ellis Medicine and Nathan Littauer Hospital have been awarded $100,000 each under the state’s Doctors Across New York Program. The state Department of Health awarded a total of $500,000 in two-year grants to providers who practice medicine in the underserved areas of the state. The money will support recruitment and retention of physicians through salary enhancements, sign-on bonuses, loan repayment and other direct payments. Schenectady-based Ellis was awarded $100,000 for its family medicine program, which serves inner city residents... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Hospitals headlines)

BadgerCare receives $24.5 million bonus

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:25:02 +0100

Wisconsin received a $24.5 million “performance bonus” from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, recognizing the state’s success in covering uninsured children. To qualify for these bonus payments, states had to surpass a specified Medicaid enrollment target. They also must adopt procedures that improve access to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), making it easier for eligible children to enroll and retain coverage. Wisconsin is one of 23 states to share over $296 million in Federal performance bonuses this year... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

HHS to Pay $296M in Bonuses to States Meeting CHIP Targets

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0100

HealthLeaders Media article reports that 23 states that have implemented at least five of eight programs to streamline children's health insurance coverage and meet enrollment targets will receive more than $296 million in federal performance bonuses, U.S. Health and Human Services officials announced Wednesday. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

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Four Geron execs split $600,000 in cash bonuses

bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:44:35 +0100

Geron Corp., which last month pulled out of the stem cell business, awarded four executives more than $600,000 in cash bonuses. The Menlo Park-based company (NASDAQ: GERN) said President and Chief Financial Officer David Greenwood was awarded $235,800 by its board of director’s compensation committee, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Friday. Dr. Stephen Kelsey, chief medical officer and head of research and development, received $156,600 and Melissa Kelly Behrs, senior vice president of strategic portfolio management, was awarded $107,500 and Chief Scientific Officer Jane Lebkowski received $107,200... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines)

Wichita hospice providers take issue with Bloomberg report alleging system abuse

bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:34:51 +0100

The nation’s hospice care industry has come under fire after Bloomberg published a story that includes multiple allegations that providers fraudulently referred patients for end-of-life care and accepted bonuses for increasing census numbers. The Dec. 6 report cites 1,000 pages of court documents and interviews with more than 45 current and former hospice employees, patients and their families. Bloomberg’s report takes aim specifically at Wichita-based Hospice Care of Kansas. HCK is facing one of seven pending or settled lawsuits nationwide against hospice providers alleging improper admission practices, according to the report... (Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Biotechnology headlines)

Bankers’ bonuses not to blame, shows university research

University of Bristol news — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:29:58 +0100

Research from the University of Bath and Bristol counters the claim that large bonuses in the banking industry are at the root of the global financial crisis. (Source: University of Bristol news)

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Early EMR adopters get a break; tougher criteria delayed to 2014

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 14:57:22 +0100

Source: Charles Fiegl, amednews Content: “Physicians meeting criteria in 2011 to earn federal electronic medical record incentives will have more time before the Dept. of Health and Human Services requires them to satisfy tougher standards for attaining additional bonuses. The move is being viewed by physicians and health policy observers as a goodwill gesture by the [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – review

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:56:47 +0100

An outstandingly clear and precise study of the 'dual-process' model of the brain and our embedded self-delusionsA human being "is a dark and veiled thing; and whereas the hare has seven skins, the human being can shed seven times seventy skins and still not be able to say: This is really you, this is no longer outer shell." So said Nietzsche, and Freud agreed: we are ignorant of ourselves. The idea surged in the 20th century and became a commonplace, a "whole climate of opinion", in Auden's phrase.It's still a commonplace, but it's changing shape. It used to be thought that the things we didn't know about ourselves were dark – emotionally fetid, sexually charged. This was supposed to be why we were ignorant of them: we couldn't face them, so we repressed them. The deep explanation of ou...

Dec. 31 Deadline for Medicaid EHR Bonuses

Blogged_Arteries — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 06:00:00 +0100

Time is running out for physicians who want to participate in the Texas Medicaid electronic health (EHR) record incentive program. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)

Do Physician Organizations Located in Lower Socioeconomic Status Areas Score Lower on Pay-for-Performance Measures?

Journal of General Internal Medicine — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:13:33 +0100

CONCLUSIONS Physician organizations’ performance scores in a major P4P program vary by the SES of the areas in which their practice sites are located. P4P programs that do not account for this are likely to pay higher bonuses to POs in higher SES areas, thus increasing the resource gap between these POs and POs in lower SES areas, which may increase disparities in the care they provide. Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Original ResearchPages 1-7DOI 10.1007/s11606-011-1946-8Authors Alyna T. Chien, Division of General Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Boston; Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, 21 Autumn Street - Room 223, Boston, MA 02215, USAKristen Wroblewski, Department of Health Studies, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USACheryl Damber...

From Reactive to Reflective Parenting

Psychology Today Parenting Center — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:14:38 +0100

Interview with one of the pioneers in reflective parenting. Primary Topic: Parenting read more (Source: Psychology Today Parenting Center)

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Results of the 2011 AORN Salary and Compensation Survey

AORN Journal — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:06:36 +0100

Abstract: AORN conducted its ninth annual compensation survey for perioperative nurses in June and July 2011. A multiple regression model was used to examine how a number of variables, including job title, education level, certification, experience, and geographic region, affect nurse compensation. Comparisons between the 2011 data and data from previous years are presented. The effects of other forms of compensation, such as on-call compensation, overtime, bonuses, and shift differentials, on base compensation rates also are examined. Additional analyses explore the effect of the current economic downturn on the perioperative work environment. (Source: AORN Journal)

The Financial and Performance Monitors Orthodontists Should Use to Understand the Status and Performance of Their Practice

Seminars in Orthodontics — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:13:29 +0100

Flying an airplane without instruments is sometimes called “flying by the seat of your pants.” Although it is possible to fly this way, it is not the most effective and safe way to fly, especially over long distances. Managing a practice “by the seat of your pants” is also possible, but it is not the most effective and efficient practice management philosophy as a long-term approach. Present-day orthodontists must pay the same attention to the performance of the practice as is paid to clinical treatment protocols. This vital monitoring information must be carefully linked to other practice management systems, such as the practice budget, practice goals, staff training, employee performance reviews, salaries, and incentive bonuses. (Source: Seminars in Orthodontics)

Harvard Should Set Better Example for Treating Lowest-Paid

Psychology Today Work Center — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 03:46:06 +0100

Have-nots Shouldn't Need to Fight the Haves for Wages and Respect Primary Topic: Ethics and Morality read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

Trusts offered bonuses for good performance on pressure ulcers

Nursing Times Breaking News — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:33:00 +0100

NHS trusts will be able to earn payments next year based on their performance against a “bundle” of nursing indicators on preventable harm, with particular focus on pressure ulcers. (Source: Nursing Times Breaking News)

Is ICD-10 More Important Than Meaningful Use?

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:51:09 +0100

Source: Neil Versel, InformationWeek Content: “Hospitals are spending millions installing and upgrading electronic health record (EHR) systems in pursuit of federal bonuses for Meaningful Use of EHRs. But they may want to rethink their IT priorities, a longtime industry watcher said. According to Dave Garets, executive director of the health IT group of Washington, D.C.-based research [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

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Poll of the Week — Are Holiday Bonuses Back?

Physicians Practice — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Which best describes the forecast for holiday bonuses at your medical practice this year? (Source: Physicians Practice)

Psychiatric Compensation Survey 2011

Psychiatric Times — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Find out how your compensation, bonuses, and benefits compare to that of your peers. Do you work more hours than others or less? Based on unique research by Psychiatric Times. (Source: Psychiatric Times)

Physicians Get Meaningful Use Bonuses

Blogged_Arteries — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Texas physicians and hospitals have earned almost $200 million in federal incentives for "meaningful use" of electronic health records thus far in 2011. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)

Medicare Advantage plans look for physician buy-in on five-star rating system

American Medical News — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Only nine plans reached the coveted status in 2011, earning bonuses and the right to enroll beneficiaries year-round in 2012. (Source: American Medical News)

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RCGP Chair: quality premium is 'unethical'

Management in Practice — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:19:00 +0100

Dr Clare Gerada says plans to give GPs commissioning bonuses "will perversely affect the way we interact with our patients" (Source: Management in Practice)

America's 25 Highest Paid CEOs

Forbes.com Healthcare News — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:30:14 +0100

While the stagnant economy continues to hurt those at the bottom of the U.S. workforce, there's plenty of money for the .0001% at the top. Compensation includes salary, bonuses, perks and exercised stock options; current as of Sept. 6, 2011. Sources: Compustat ExecuComp; SEC filings. (Source: Forbes.com Healthcare News)

The national subsidy for deliveries and emergency obstetric care in Burkina Faso

Health Policy and Planning — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Conclusions This ambitious policy expresses a strong political commitment but has not been adequately supported by international partners. Despite relatively tight administrative controls, health workers have figured out how to take advantage of the system. Some of the policy's instruments should be reviewed and clarified to improve its effectiveness. (Source: Health Policy and Planning)

Prescriptions Blog: Bonuses Tied to Medicare's Star System Reward Insurers

NYT Health — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:45:25 +0100

Medicare Advantage plans across the country receive their ratings. (Source: NYT Health)

India's Roman Catholic faithful urged to have more kids

CTV Health — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:52:20 +0100

Worried about its dwindling numbers, the Roman Catholic church in southern India is exhorting its flock to have more children, with some parishes offering free schooling, medical care and even cash bonuses for large families, church officials said Tuesday. (Source: CTV Health)

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Minimum savings requirements in shared savings provider payment

Health Economics — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

ABSTRACTPayer (insurer) sharing of savings is a way of motivating providers of medical services to reduce cost growth. A Medicare shared savings program is established for accountable care organizations in the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. However, savings created by providers cannot be distinguished from the normal (random) variation in medical claims costs, setting up a classic principal–agent problem. To lessen the likelihood of paying undeserved bonuses, payers may pay bonuses only if observed savings exceed minimum levels. We study the trade‐off between two types of errors in setting minimum savings requirements: paying bonuses when providers do not create savings and not paying bonuses when providers create savings. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd....

Medicare Sets Bonuses for Intensive Primary Care

Rheumatology News — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Medicare will begin rewarding primary care physicians for spending more time with patients and offering services such as late hours and intensive care management beginning next summer, under a new program unveiled Sept. 28. (Source: Rheumatology News)

Letter to Editor of Scientific American

Psychology Today Work Center — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 18:46:19 +0100

Some social psychologists don't want you to receive the bonuses or salary enhancements you might have earned. They think the money is toxic and bad for you. Is it really? Primary Topic: Work read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

"Million Hearts" plan to slash CVD includes bonuses for best practice

theHeart.org — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:30:10 +0100

The government-backed initiative aims to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. (Source: theHeart.org)

Bonuses versus health insurance for staff

Modern Medicine — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

How to handle bonuses (Source: Modern Medicine)

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Medical Group Responses To Global Payment: Early Lessons From The 'Alternative Quality Contract' In Massachusetts [Health Plans & Providers]

Health Affairs — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0100

The largest insurer in Massachusetts, Blue Cross Blue Shield, began a new program in 2009 that combines global payments—fixed payments for the care of patient populations during a specified time period—with large potential quality bonuses for medical groups. In interviews with representatives of the participating medical groups, many of which could be considered prototype accountable care organizations, we found that most groups initially focused on two goals: building the infrastructure to help primary care providers earn quality bonuses; and managing referrals to direct patients to lower-cost settings. Groups are working to overcome numerous challenges, which include improving their data management capabilities; managing conflicting incentives in their fee-for-service contrac...

Warning over painkiller addiction

NHS News Feed — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:46:00 +0100

Conclusion This was an editorial written in response to the increasing number of opioid-related deaths in the US. The editorial reflected the views of the authors and the research and statistics that they had considered. While the article made several recommendations on possible ways to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths, without a formal systematic review it is not known whether all relevant evidence on the topic has been consulted. As such these recommendations may be considered to be opinion-based. While similar trends in opioid use may exist in the UK, this editorial does not focus on the UK situation. Though research on the effectiveness and safety of opiods for non-cancer pain would be valuable, many other of the authors’ recommendations and suggested policy changes would n...

Motivating Workers: "Drive" Presents Only One Side of Disputed Issues

Psychology Today Work Center — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 23:32:22 +0100

Daniel Pink, Al Gore's former chief speech writer, mis-states science to advance his anti- materialism politics. He says that bonuses undermine intrinsic motivation in work, but they don't. He thinks human motives divide into just two kinds (intrinsic and extrinsic), but they don'. There are at least 16 -- not two -- psychometric/genetic motives. read more (Source: Psychology Today Work Center)

Scottish consultants paid £105m in bonuses

HSJ — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 10:11:00 +0100

The Scottish government has spent £105 million on NHS consultant bonuses since 2007, the Liberal Democrats revealed. (Source: HSJ)

£105m in bonuses to health service consultants attacked

Scotsman.com News - Health — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 23:04:54 +0100

THE Scottish Government has spent £105 million on NHS consultant bonuses since 2007, Liberal Democrats have revealed. (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)

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TED Global: Brilliant babies, electric grannies and bankers behaving badly

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 11:36:00 +0100

Speakers at TED Global on Thursday waxed lyrical about the creativity of toddlers, the role of grandmothers in spreading solar power in Sierra Leone, and bankers' brainsCan babies do maths?They can, says Alison Gopnik, a developmental psychologist. Not only that, they can do really quite difficult maths: statistics, probability, Bayesian theory ... Gopnik has devised experiments showing that when it comes to designing and testing hypotheses, 18-month-old toddlers are better at it than adults.Children, she says, are the "R&D department" of the human race. "They're the blue sky guys, and we are production and marketing." They're creative, open-minded, imaginative. Their brains are flooded with neurotransmitters that promote neuroplasticity. The closest you can come as an adult to achieving t...

TED Global 2011: Forget Glastonbury, this is Nerdstock

Guardian Unlimited Science — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:59:00 +0100

This article was amended on 13 July 2011. The original linked to the web page of the wrong Richard Wilkinson at the University of Nottingham. This has been corrected.EvolutionAlien lifeBiologyMathematicsTEDInternetSocial mobilityCarole Cadwalladrguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)

Plan would offer Quebec GPs bonuses to take extra patients

CTV Health — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 20:56:06 +0100

Quebec's general practitioners would get more money to take on new patients and work longer hours under a proposed deal between the provincial government and family doctors. (Source: CTV Health)

Space shuttle: The long goodbye

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:49:00 +0100

As the final mission of the space shuttle programme approaches, we will feature here the very best articles, audio and video on the web marking this historic occasionPlease email or tweet us links for inclusion, or share your thoughts in the comments field below7.23pm: Nasa provides a brief explanation of the symbolism in the crew patch, which is reproduced at the head of this article:The STS-135 patch represents the space shuttle Atlantis embarking on its mission to resupply the International Space Station. Atlantis is centered over elements of the NASA emblem depicting how the space shuttle has been at the heart of NASA for the last 30 years. It also pays tribute to the entire NASA and contractor team that made possible all the incredible accomplishments of the space shuttle. Omega, the ...

Australian government launches telehealth initiative

Healthcare IT News — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:56:00 +0100

Starting today, Australia is taking an active role in promoting telehealth. As part of Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s $620 million telehealth initiative, the Australian government is funding video hook-ups between medical specialists and patients. The nation’s Medicare program is offering 50-percent bonuses to specialists who adopt telehealth technology and 35-percent bonuses to doctors, nurses and midwives who participate in video consults with patients. read more (Source: Healthcare IT News)

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Accountable Care Organizations: Transforming Health Care Delivery From Legislation to Implementation (Robert Graham MD)

Family Medicine Digital Resources Library (FMDRL) Recently Uploaded — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Facing the challenges of rising US health care costs in a poorly coordinated fee-for-service health care delivery system, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are one of the key efforts identified in the Affordable Care Act to incentivize quality, control costs, and serve as a model to transform the delivery of health care. The ACO model is a flexible collaboration of primary care providers, hospitals, and other physicians and services organized to deliver patient focused quality targets and demonstrate reductions in overall spending growth for a defined patient population. Existing and conceptual models include a spectrum of payment incentives ranging from shared savings within a fee-for-service environment to quality bonuses in a limited capitation model. This resource contains the audi...

Rethinking Primary Care

DukeHealth.org: Duke Health Features — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:18:26 +0100

Last year, high blood pressure, obesity, and uncontrolled diabetes were slowly killing 46-year-old Phil Smith. He wasn’t using his insulin properly and couldn’t seem to stick to an exercise regimen or a healthy diet. There’s nothing unusual about this story so far. In fact, now that a quarter of the U.S. population suffers from chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, or asthma, most providers see some version of it play out every day. Unfortunately, caregivers too often come in only at the end of the story -- when patients show up at the doors of the clinic or emergency room with advanced disease or life-threatening complications that are both damaging to their health and extremely expensive to wrestle back under control. In Smith’s case, though, there’s a plot twist. Dre...

CEO pay jumps on bonuses, stock awards

bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:37:43 +0100

(Source: bizjournals.com Health Care:Physician Practices headlines)

Pioneering Hospital Pay-For-Performance Program Falls Short Of Its Goals

Health News from Medical News Today — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:00:00 +0100

Massachusetts' innovative use of "pay-for-performance" bonuses to try to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the case of Medicaid patients has turned up no evidence of the problem at any of the state's 66 acute-care hospitals, according to a new study that raises questions about the effectiveness of the state's novel approach... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Signing bonuses become usual part of physician recruitment packages

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:15:21 +0100

One-time incentives, including paying off student loans and offsetting home sale losses, are becoming more common to attract doctors. (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

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Pioneering hospital pay-for-performance program falls short of its goals

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(New York University) Massachusetts' innovative use of "pay-for-performance" bonuses to try to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the case of Medicaid patients has turned up no evidence of the problem at any of the state's 66 acute-care hospitals, according to a new study that raises questions about the effectiveness of the state's novel approach. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Physician Recruiter Report: Bonuses Based on Quality are Few and Far Between

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Talk to anyone for very long about how to improve health care in the U.S. and you eventually hear something along the lines of: “We have to start paying physicians for getting and keeping people healthy instead of for doing as many procedures and tests as possible.” (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

Health Affairs: Mass. P4P plan hasn't uncovered disparities

CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 13:55:32 +0100

Massachusetts' innovative use of pay-for-performance bonuses to attempt to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the case of Medicaid patients has turned up no evidence of the problem at any of the state's 66 acute-care hospitals, according to a study published in the June edition of Health Affairs. (Source: CMIO.net: The News Weekly for Health IT Executives)

Cash talks when overbooked hotel guests walk

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(Penn State) Cash bonuses can help hotel operators lure back disappointed customers who were displaced during overbooking snags, according to Penn State researchers. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

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Doctors' bonuses could be replaced with non-cash prizes, says DH

HSJ — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Pay awards worth £500m a year could be withheld from consultant doctors and replaced with “non-financial” prizes, the Department of Health has suggested. (Source: HSJ)

Health Bill Must Not Undermine Patients' Trust In Doctors, Says British Medical Association

Health News from Medical News Today — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Launching guidance for shadow consortia on how to ensure transparency and probity, the BMA today said the government must remove performance-related bonuses for consortia from the health bill as it could undermine patient trust. In the latest of a series of guidance documents for GPs the BMA's GPs Committee sets out how consortia can ensure their governance arrangements have the confidence and trust of the public. It also calls on the government to scrap the proposal to pay consortia a performance-related payment if they perform well financially... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Incentives Boost Quality Reporting, e-Prescribing

Clinical Neurology News — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100

About $234 million in bonuses under the Physician Quality Reporting System and $148 million in incentives for ePrescribing were paid out in 2009, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Source: Clinical Neurology News)

England may pay doctors for frank talk with fat patients

Health News: CBSNews.com — Mon, 23 May 2011 17:54:42 +0100

Under plan being considered in England, doctors would receive bonuses for telling patients they are overweight (Source: Health News: CBSNews.com)

EHR Users Received Incentive Bonuses This Week

Medscape Today Headlines — Sat, 21 May 2011 00:20:47 +0100

A much-heralded federal program to encourage physicians to use electronic health records has begun to send out incentive payments under Medicare. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

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The seduction secrets of video game designers

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sat, 14 May 2011 23:05:12 +0100

The world's love of video games has much to do with our intrinsic desires and motivesVideo games, we have been led to believe, are about wasting time. It is a misunderstanding that players and game makers have railed against for 40 years. While movies and television are endlessly analysed and debated in the mainstream media, games are characterised as troubling, irresponsible or banal, the fatuous byproducts of the digital revolution.But a growing number of theorists and designers disagree. This is, after all, an entertainment medium that worldwide makes $50bn a year, a medium in which an estimated one third of UK adults indulge. An emerging school of thought, drawing on cognitive science, psychology and sociology, suggests that our growing love of video games may actually have important t...

Research reveals true worth of a smile

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 10 May 2011 07:30:01 +0100

Researchers find that smiling works wonders in social transactions – but don't try it if you're a bankerYou can't put a price on a smile, so goes the popular saying. But a team of British academics claim to have done just that. After developing computer software to test people's responses when someone's face cracks into a smile, researchers at Bangor University have calculated the economic value of a grin. Sadly, their findings suggest that flashing gleaming gnashers isn't going to make you a millionaire: each smile is, they report, worth precisely one third of a penny.With three smiles earning just a penny, not even the Cheshire cat would be able to give up his day job, but, according to the academics, working out the value of a grin could have a significant impact on our human interact...

Electronic medical records: What your data can tell you

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Mon, 02 May 2011 13:26:54 +0100

Source: Nicole Lewis, InformationWeek Healthcare Content: “One of the perceived advantages of electronic medical records is that physicians will have a wealth of information that can help them gain greater insight about patients. The process of gathering and examining this information is called data analytics. For practices that are applying for federal bonuses for meaningful use [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

Medicare quality bonuses elude nearly half of reporting doctors

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Mon, 02 May 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Total payouts were up in the third year, but only one in five eligible professionals participated in the voluntary program. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

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Clinical Neurology News — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The American Academy of Neurology persuaded two senators to introduce legislation to make neurologists eligible for the 10% primary care incentive payments included in the health reform act. The bonuses are for doctors who provide at least 60% of their services to Medicare patients under evaluation and management codes. “The average neurologist meets the 60 percent threshold, but many in Congress either forgot neurology or thought it was a subspecialty of internal medicine!” Mike Amery, the academy's legislative counsel, wrote on the group's Web site. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced the bill (S. 597), and the academy said it will encourage other senators to be cosponsors. Last year, the Congressional Budget Office calculated that adding neurologists ...

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Quality Reporting Payouts Were $234 Million in 2009

Rheumatology News — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Hospitals to Be Paid for Quality, Not Quantity, CMS Says

MedPage Today Public Health — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:58:01 +0100

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will begin paying hospitals bonuses based on adherence to quality measures and based on patient satisfaction under a final Medicare rule published Friday. (Source: MedPage Today Public Health)

Medicare Quality Bonuses More Than Doubled in 2010

Medscape Today Headlines — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:48:39 +0100

However, the incentive program turns into a penalty program in 2015 for physicians who fail to report their performance on quality measures. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)

A healthy scepticism about electronic medical records

ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:17:16 +0100

Source: Cory Franklin, guardian.co.uk Content: “As an incentive, the Obama administration will provide doctors and hospitals substantial bonuses to adopt electronic medical records as part of a federal multibillion-dollar investment, which includes health information technology regional extension centres (sound Orwellian enough?) where providers can ascertain which health record system best suits them. Fine in theory. The [...] (Source: ICMCC: The International Council on Medical and Care Compunetics)

GP performance bonuses fail to improve public health

HSJ — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Performance-related pay for GP practices has failed to improve their prevention and health promotion work, according to research published today. (Source: HSJ)

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Land proves top draw for City investors

Guardian Unlimited Science — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:51:14 +0100

Farmland has become flavour of the month thanks to increasing commodity prices and considerable tax advantagesApplying Mark Twain's famous dictum, "Buy land, they're not making it anymore", City bankers are queuing up to spend their bonuses on farmland – cashing in on rising prices, improving yields and significant tax breaks.Estate agents report a significant increase in interest from City professionals chasing a dwindling supply of land coming to market."Farmland has always been an attractive investment but at the moment it seems to be the flavour of the month," said Alex Lawson, director of farms and estates at estate agent Savills. "The interest from the City has been very significant for the last five to 10 years but where in the past the main driver has been the ambition to have a ...

Government Shutdown Averted, FY 2011 Budget Finally Nears Completion

Public Policy Reports — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 04:43:36 +0100

Policymakers negotiated and postured until the last possible minute last week before striking a deal on 8 April 2011 to fund the federal government through the balance of the current fiscal year, which ends on 30 September 2011. After weeks of contentious negotiations, congressional leadership agreed to a plan that will cut $37.7 billion in spending over the next five and a half months relative to the fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget. The cuts are roughly equally divided between mandatory and discretionary programs. About $12 billion of the cuts have already been enacted in recent months. In order to keep the federal government open until the package can be signed into law, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution late Friday night to fund the government through 14 April. Although full details...

Pay-for-performance in a community substance abuse clinic

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

This study investigated whether P4P could improve treatment utilization and retention at a community drug treatment clinic. Counselors had the opportunity to earn cash bonuses based on therapy attendance rates of individual clients and on the quarterly retention rates of their caseload. Using a pre–post study design, average therapy sessions attended during the first month of treatment increased from 4.6 sessions prior to the intervention to 5.5 sessions per client during the intervention. The 90-day client retention rate increased from 40% to 53%. Additional analyses suggest that the improvement in the 90-day retention was mediated by the increase in attendance during the first month of treatment. This project demonstrates that implementing a P4P incentive program in community drug abus...

The bonus myth: How paying for results can backfire

New Scientist - The Human Brain — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:23:00 +0100

If you want to boost people's performance, don't bank on bonuses (Source: New Scientist - The Human Brain)

Clinic settles lawsuits but still faces scrutiny over erectile dysfunction injections

Los Angeles Times - Science — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

Boston Medical Group doctors get bonuses to promote the drug injections. Some patients say they suffered from priapism and permanent damage because they were not informed of the risks.At the headquarters of Boston Medical Group in Costa Mesa, six salesmen were working the toll-free appointment line on a recent afternoon, fielding calls from men around the country enticed by newspaper and radio ads promising a "proven" solution to erectile dysfunction in "one office visit." (Source: Los Angeles Times - Science)

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The Effect Of Pay-For-Performance In Hospitals: Lessons For Quality Improvement [Pay-For-Performance]

Health Affairs — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

We examined the effects in 260 hospitals of a pay-for-performance demonstration project carried out by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in partnership with Premier Inc., a nationwide hospital system. We compared these results to those of a control group of 780 hospitals not in the demonstration project. The performance of the hospitals in the project initially improved more than the performance of the control group: More than half of the pay-for-performance hospitals achieved high performance scores, compared to fewer than a third of the control hospitals. However, after five years, the two groups’ scores were virtually identical. Improvements were largest among hospitals that were eligible for larger bonuses, were well financed, or operated in less competitive mar...

Financial Incentives And Measurement Improved Physicians' Quality Of Care In The Philippines [Global Effort]

Health Affairs — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

The merits of using financial incentives to improve clinical quality have much appeal, yet few studies have rigorously assessed the potential benefits. The uncertainty surrounding assessments of quality can lead to poor policy decisions, possibly resulting in increased cost with little or no quality improvement, or missed opportunities to improve care. We conducted an experiment involving physicians in thirty Philippine hospitals that overcomes many of the limitations of previous studies. We measured clinical performance and then examined whether modest bonuses equal to about 5 percent of a physician’s salary, as well as system-level incentives that increased compensation to hospitals and across groups of physicians, led to improvements in the quality of care. We found that both...

Giving teachers bonuses for student achievement undermines student learning, study finds

ScienceDaily Headlines — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 21:32:32 +0100

Recent efforts to improve teacher performance by linking pay to student achievement have failed because such programs often rely on metrics that were never intended to help determine teacher pay. These systems make it easy for policymakers to obtain consistent measures of student and teacher performance, but the same testing regimes also make it easy for educators to game incentive systems by coaching students for exams rather than teaching them to master subject matter. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)

Giving teachers bonuses for student achievement undermines student learning

EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:00:00 +0100

(University of Chicago) Recent efforts to improve teacher performance by linking pay to student achievement have failed because such programs often rely on metrics that were never intended to help determine teacher pay. These systems make it easy for policymakers to obtain consistent measures of student and teacher performance, but the same testing regimes also make it easy for educators to game incentive systems by coaching students for exams rather than teaching them to master subject matter. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)

Complex Health-Care Law Turns Into Payday for Consultants

RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100

For months, said Washington health-care attorney Rene Quashie, his phone has been “ringing off the hook,” with hospital and doctor clients wanting advice on how to reorganize themselves to get new Medicare bonuses under the health-care law. Handling such questions, said Quashie, an associate with the firm Drinker Biddle & Reath, is sure to be “a growth area” for his firm. (Source: RWJF News Digest - Quality/Equality)

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After Cuts, Inspire to Pay Bonuses

Drugs.com - Pharma News — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:50:19 +0100

[the News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.] From News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) (March 19, 2011) March 19--Inspire Pharmaceuticals plans to pay every remaining employee a retention bonus after the Raleigh... (Source: Drugs.com - Pharma News)

My enthusiasm for a career in science is slowly ebbing away

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 17:25:08 +0100

Nathan Ley describes what it's like to apply for a studentship in the UK just as the government's austerity measures start to biteApplying to study for a PhD is meant to be the time in a young scientist's life when he or she decides to pursue something noble. The time when they choose to investigate a single subject area in great depth in order to satisfy their hunger for knowledge and, perhaps, provide humanity with some new answers.This was motivation enough for me. As a graduate of biochemistry from one of the country's best universities, currently studying for an MSc at another one of the country's best universities in a subject area that captivates me, it seemed like a logical objective. Choose a few studentship programmes, track down the appropriate supervisors, touch up my CV, get m...

Performance bonuses: a fair swap for public service pension reform?

HSJ — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

“There is a much stronger case for linking pay to performance at the senior levels of public organisations, as opposed to the rest of the workforce”. (Source: HSJ)

GAO echoes physician concerns on EMR, e-prescribing bonuses

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0100

Physician organizations say the misaligned Medicare incentive programs force practices to waste resources on interim electronic prescribing systems to beat a June 30 deadline. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

How Incentives Can Hurt Group Productivity And Shared Resources

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:00:00 +0100

A study by Professor Stephan Meier, Assistant Professor, Management at Columbia Business School, and co-author Andreas Fuster, Ph.D. candidate, Harvard University Department of Economics, which was published in Management Science, an INFORMSR publication, found that while monetary incentives in the workplace, such as subsidies or bonuses, are regarded to be effective ways to encourage staff contributions, incentives can interfere in public and workplace environments dependent on informal norm enforcement... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

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Life expectancy: Take a positive look at our ageing population | Observer editorial

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:16:39 +0100

This is a chance to recalibrate society so that we invest more in family tiesWe have been told for years that we are experiencing the alarming rumblings of an "agequake". Life expectancy for many is increasing at the rate of five hours a day, every day – and that is reason to celebrate. However, certain milestones in this demographic upheaval also provoke profound concern.Next year, for instance, the European working age population will begin to shrink, while the over-60 population will continue to increase by at least 2 million a year. Once, retirement would last less than a decade before a pensioner succumbed. Many of the baby-boomers, in contrast, could spend longer in retirement than they have in paid employment. At the same time, a progressively smaller band of younger people, facin...

Finger on the Pulse: Max Pemberton

Telegraph Health — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:25:26 +0100

Bonuses work for sofa salesmen, not doctors (Source: Telegraph Health)

Wednesday 2 March

Royal College of Nursing News Alert — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

he Guardian reports that under the health and social care bill, which is going through parliament, GP practices could be partially floated on the stock market. In documents obtained by Channel 4 news and passed to the Guardian, one private health firm, IHP, proposes that the commissioning budget for patients be handed over to a private company in which family doctors would own a 20% stake. The Department of Health said a national commissioning board and regulator would prevent perceived or potential conflicts of interest. Dr Peter Carter said he did not "want perverse incentives [being created] for the leaders of the new consortiums to underspend. It would send out mixed messages to NHS staff if they are seeing cuts in frontline services in one part of the NHS and bonuses elsewhere. (Sou...

Incentives Play Larger Role in Hospitalist Compensation

Rheumatology News — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Although base salary plus added bonuses based on quality and productivity measures represent the predominant compensation structure for hospitalists, methodologies for paying hospitalists vary widely and appear to be evolving toward paying a higher percentage of compensation as incentives, experts said. (Source: Rheumatology News)

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7 Simple Ways to Serve, Solve and Delight Customers

Psychology Today Work Center — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:32:21 +0100

I read an interesting tweet from my friend and entrepreneurship savant, Bryan Franklin that said: "I noticed that the speakers with $1-$3M businesses were fascinated with marketing, and the speaker with $100M biz was fascinated with customers." And, shortly after that, I scanned down my tweet-stream to notice a gazillion or so links to articles and posts that reveals X ways to get more clients, Y ways to market bigger and better and Z ways to get more subscribers. Bryan's right, you'll solve most of your business problems by spending more energy figuring out how best understand your customers' lives, psyches and challenges, then working to solve your customers problems and deliver delight to their doorsteps. Not a lot of people create lists that focus on how to better serve, solve and deli...

BMA leader attacks plans for GP bonuses

Pulse — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:44:00 +0100

The leader of the BMA has launched a major attack on the Government’s plans to allow GP consortia to award practices bonuses for hitting financial and QOF outcome targets. (Source: Pulse)

Wednesday 9 February

Royal College of Nursing News Alert — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley is being pressured to delete provisions from the Health and Social Care Bill to prevent senior GPs, and managers of the new GP consortia which will start commissioning healthcare from 2013, receiving financial rewards if they do not spend the whole of their allocated annual budget. Dr Peter Carter said: If a consortium makes a surplus, that it could be great. But there should be no question of it being put back into peoples pay packets or giving people bonuses. This is taxpayers money. Any surplus should be ploughed back into patient care, not extra pay and bonuses for those who are already reasonably well-paid. Peter outlined his concerns to the MPs on the cross-party commons health select committee. His call was supported by Dr Clare Gerada, Chai...

Rxbuys.com Now Designed to Make Shopping for Drugs Cheaper and Faster

PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:02:13 +0100

Rxbuys.com, inspired by the feedback of its regular customers, redesigned the website for more convenient navigation, introducing new bonuses and discounts for clients expecting to benefit from their...(PRWeb February 07, 2011)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/02/prweb5041954.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)

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Health Headlines: Dogs sniff cancer, paternity tests and GP bonuses

HealthcareRepublic Pharmacist News — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 09:43:00 +0100

Welcome to our daily round-up of health stories making the national news. Don't forget to tell us your views. (Source: HealthcareRepublic Pharmacist News)

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Pediatric News — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $206 million to 15 states for enrolling more uninsured children in Medicaid. Last year, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization bonuses totaled just $75 million to 10 states. To qualify, states must have adopted specific program features known to encourage Medicaid enrollment and retention and then document increases significantly beyond what would have been expected. States qualifying this year are Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin. (Source: Pediatric News)

Beyond Money: Our Self-Destructing Desire For Wealth

Psychology Today Work Center — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:08:33 +0100

The rich are getting a lot richer, while most of us are losing ground. The issue of exorbitant financial compensation for the few is bringing into focus the problem of economic inequality in North America. Is our obsession with money at the core? It's clear that economic inequality is increasing significantly in the U.S. Now the top 1% of Americans in terms of income receive the largest share of national income-the greatest since 1928. At the same time the share by the middle class is declining and the number of poor people is growing. Some hedge fund mangers made $4 billion annually, enough to pay the salaries of every public school teacher in New York City, according to Paul Buchheit of DePaul University. Today the average CEO's pay is more than 250 times the average worker's, wher...

The New Rules of Work - Part Two

Psychology Today Work Center — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:39:35 +0100

So you've been mulling over the idea I proposed last week - that, under the new rules of work, you are a freelancer. No job is secure, and you need to be ready - at any time - to make a move into something new. Having a side hustle, a Plan B, a backup plan - all very important under the new rules of work. And there's something else you need to know to thrive in the new workplace: Givers win, takers lose. The Old Rules You eat what you kill. Greed is good. By any means necessary, you're going to get yours, and screw anyone who moves too slow. Your slogan: You snooze, you lose. You withhold information from people you work with, and even your clients, because information is power, and power is all-important. Power lets you kill more, so you eat more.&nbs...

Medicare Advantage bonuses could go to low-performing private plans

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:01:45 +0100

MedPAC, which gives Medicare pay advice to Congress, says the performance-based demonstration will prove very costly to the government. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

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MPs turn on 'banker-style' GP bonuses

Pulse — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:45:00 +0100

Labour MPs have criticised the Goverment for allowing GPs to take banker-style bonuses under their plans for rewarding successful GP consortia. (Source: Pulse)

Meaningful use rules exempt doctors, not EMR systems

American Medical News - BUSINESS — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:00:27 +0100

The HHS health IT blog issues a clarification about the flexibility of stage 1 requirements to qualify for federal bonuses. (Source: American Medical News - BUSINESS)

Lansley: reforms will not see banker-style bonuses

HSJ — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:49:00 +0100

Health secretary Andrew Lansley today defended sweeping NHS reforms against claims that GPs would qualify for banker-style bonuses and private firms would win major contracts. (Source: HSJ)

NHS private firms plan condemned

Management in Practice — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 09:37:00 +0100

The Government's proposal to give GPs on the NHS banker-style bonuses and allow private firms to profit from the health sector represents "the worst kind of excess", MPs have been told. (Source: Management in Practice)

NHS reforms 'risk patient backlash'

HSJ — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 12:45:00 +0100

An influential health think tank has warned that the proposed radical changes to the NHS could turn patients against GPs because doctors are likely to start receiving “unpalatable” cash bonuses. (Source: HSJ)

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J&J Won't Give Full Bonuses to Employees

WSJ.com: Health — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 23:42:16 +0100

J&J won't give eligible employees their full bonuses for 2010, citing hits to the company's reputation and the "mixed performance" for the year. (Source: WSJ.com: Health)

Bonuses work for fruit pickers, not City slickers

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 07:00:10 +0100

The justification that banks need to fork out massive payouts to retain top talent is a fallacyOpen the business pages at this time of year, and a whole bunch of telephone numbers come tumbling out. An average payout of £233,000 for the investment bankers at JP Morgan. A £9.7bn pot for the swots at Goldman Sachs. And a £2m kiss goodbye for the boss of Lloyds, Eric Daniels, presumably as thanks for bungling the high-street bank's affairs so badly that it now relies on cash from the British taxpayer.Ask a City executive to justify such huge bonuses, especially as the rest of the country braces itself for the biggest spending cuts since 1945, and you get a brush-off. The financiers have two main justifications for their mammoth handouts. First, bonuses spur on staff to perform better, whic...

Yes, bonuses do work – but for fruit-pickers, not City bankers | Aditya Chakrabortty

Guardian Unlimited Science — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 07:00:10 +0100

N.B. cuts will hurt health recruiting: doctor

CBC | Health — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:20:32 +0100

The head of the New Brunswick Medical Society says suspending signing bonuses for new doctors will send a chill through medical schools. (Source: CBC | Health)

BMA rejects two-year increment freeze

BMA daily feed — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 21:58:03 +0100

‘Perverse’ to penalise hard-working NHS staff while bankers get bonuses (Source: BMA daily feed)

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NHS doctors' overtime bill questioned

BBC News | Health | UK Edition — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:30:21 +0100

Some NHS consultants are making more than £100,000 a year in overtime on top of their basic salary and annual bonuses. (Source: BBC News | Health | UK Edition)

States get Medicaid bonuses for enrolling children

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:00:33 +0100

Fifteen are rewarded for streamlining their applications and signing up more uninsured kids. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

AAFP Works to Resolve Members' Practice Management Issues in 2010

Inside AAFP — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 01:50:00 +0100

In 2009, family physicians learned that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act would provide bonuses for physician practices that incorporated the "meaningful use" of electronic health records, or EHRs. However, physicians and the AAFP were left scratching their heads about just what was meant by meaningful use. In 2010, the federal government set about defining the term. (Source: Inside AAFP)

Medicare EMR incentive program begins registration

American Medical News - GOVERNMENT — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:55:24 +0100

CMS releases additional guidance on how to obtain bonuses for using certified systems, including key implementation dates. (Source: American Medical News - GOVERNMENT)

Private-Payer Innovation In Massachusetts: The 'Alternative Quality Contract' [Accountable Care Organizations]

Health Affairs — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

We describe this unique contract and show how it surmounts hurdles previously encountered with other global-payment models. (Source: Health Affairs)

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Primary Care Bonuses Kick In

Blogged_Arteries — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 06:00:00 +0100

Medicare has begun paying primary care physicians a 10-percent bonus for providing primary care services. The Primary Care Incentive Program is part of the Affordable Care Act that Congress passed last year. (Source: Blogged_Arteries)

Excited To Be Able To Have More Children After Tubal Ligation

Tubal Ligation Reversal News — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

'Devoncroix' posts on the Tubal Reversal Message Board how she is saving money to have her tubal ligation reversal. She and her husband are using money they received from Christmas bonuses and will supplement this with money they will receive from their tax returns in order to have ligation reversal surgery early in 2011. She states, "I am so very excited and nervous! I can't believe how quickly everything is happening now that we made the commitment to do it this year!" (Source: Tubal Ligation Reversal News)

20 predictions for the next 25 years

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 00:05:22 +0100

From the web to wildlife, the economy to nanotechnology, politics to sport, the Observer's team of experts prophesy how the world will change – for good or bad – in the next quarter of a century1 Geopolitics: 'Rivals will take greater risks against the US'No balance of power lasts forever. Just a century ago, London was the centre of the world. Britain bestrode the world like a colossus and only those with strong nerves (or weak judgment) dared challenge the Pax Britannica.That, of course, is all history, but the Pax Americana that has taken shape since 1989 is just as vulnerable to historical change. In the 1910s, the rising power and wealth of Germany and America splintered the Pax Britannica; in the 2010s, east Asia will do the same to the Pax Americana.The 21st century will see tec...

Health Reform's 10% Primary Care Bonuses Begin

Clinical Endocrinology News — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

One aim of the Affordable Care Act was to boost primary care, and one of the law's strategies was to create 10% incentive payments for primary care services provided by some physicians and other practitioners. (Source: Clinical Endocrinology News)

Health Reform's Primary Care Bonuses Begin

Rheumatology News — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

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Health Reform's 10% Primary Care Bonuses Begin

Family Practice News — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Registration for EHR Bonuses Begins January 3

Medscape Neurology and Neurosurgery Headlines — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 01:09:39 +0100

Some state Medicaid agencies could begin issuing incentive payments for meaningful use of electronic health record systems before the end of January 2011. Medscape Medical News (Source: Medscape Neurology and Neurosurgery Headlines)

Medicaid Bonuses to Reward States for Insuring More Children

NYT — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 22:31:21 +0100

Payments will go to states for signing up children who are eligible for public health insurance but had not enrolled. (Source: NYT)

States Get Bonuses for Boosting Enrollment for Uninsured Children in Medicaid

News stories via the Rural Assistance Center — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:00:00 +0100

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius yesterday awarded $206 million to 15 states for making significant progress in enrolling uninsured children in Medicaid. (Source: News stories via the Rural Assistance Center)

Medicaid Bonuses to Reward States for Insuring More Children

NYT Health — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 11:51:40 +0100

Payments will go to states for signing up children who are eligible for public health insurance but had not enrolled. (Source: NYT Health)

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Medicaid Bonuses to Reward for Insuring Children

NYT Health — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 05:30:17 +0100

Payments will go to states for signing up children who are eligible for public health insurance but had not enrolled. (Source: NYT Health)

20 things we learned in 2010

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:07:13 +0100

Observer writers and experts chart the concepts, trends and buzz words that defined the past year and are likely to shape the next one1 The new politics is, in fact, the old politicsNick Clegg will regret many things about 2010. One will be his decision to produce a Lib Dem election poster warning that the Tories would raise VAT. A few weeks later Clegg, installed as deputy prime minister, was backing coalition plans to – yes – raise VAT.Then there was the pre-election pledge to vote against any rise in tuition fees. Six months later Clegg was pushing a policy to triple them.These shifts were damaging not just because they were old-fashioned U-turns but because they fatally undermined the party's raison d'etre – its commitment to deliver a new, honest politics. A vote for the Lib Dem...

Best apps: our experts pick 50 of the most dazzling, useful and novel

Guardian Unlimited Science — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:04:04 +0100

Got a new tablet computer or smartphone for Christmas? Don't be put off by the staggering amount of apps available – our experts have handpicked some of the bestThe web has undergone something of a makeover in the past couple of years. Apps, specialised miniature versions of internet-based services, now allow us to neatly populate our phones and tablet computers with our favourite bits of the web, from train times and painting tools to shopping services and karaoke. Simply packaged and easy to buy, apps have made niche corners of the web more accessible and mainstream.Software developers and publishers have enthusiastically embraced the app revolution, rising to the challenge of customising their services for smaller screens but also taking advantage of new opportunities. On mobile ...

NHS handing consultants millions in hidden bonuses

Scotsman.com News - Health — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

MILLIONS of pounds from NHS Lothian's budget are being handed out to highly-paid hospital consultants under a "hidden" bonus scheme. (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)

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Medicare Bonus Payment Pilot Program Also A Test For ACOs

Health News from Medical News Today — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 10:00:00 +0100

Modern Healthcare: Bonus Test Is A Test For ACOs Half of 10 physician groups testing Medicare bonus payments for quality and spending control earned payouts during the fourth year of the five-year experiment, the CMS has announced. Bonuses, which totaled $31.7 million for the fourth year, are based on how much physician groups save Medicare and how well doctors perform on measures of quality... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)

Bonus payments for Medicare Advantage plans extended

Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The Obama administration has decided to extend bonus payments meant to reward top-quality Medicare Advantage plans to those performing at average quality levels, and provide larger bonuses to top performers. (Source: Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online)

The Psychology of the Christmas Bonus

Psychology Today Work Center — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 20:06:24 +0100

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation has become a holiday classic [albeit a silly one]. The story revolves around Clark Griswold's anticipation of his hefty annual Xmas bonus, as he hosts his extended family for the holidays. Throughout the film, Clark dreams of using his bonus to build a swimming pool. Unfortunately, instead of a cash bonus, his Scrooge-like boss gives Clark a year's subscription to the Jelly-of-the-Month club.Except for Wall Street (where huge bonuses make every year a year-long Christmas celebration), holiday bonuses have mostly disappeared. Or, they have been replaced by a company gift, party, or tickets to some event.What are (or were) Christmas bonuses (or any sort of bonus) all about anyway? Well the answer is straightforward. It is all about (or should be about) r...

My Life on Mars: The Beagle 2 Diaries by Colin Pillinger – review

Guardian Unlimited Science — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0100

On Christmas Day seven years ago Beagle 2 failed to signal its arrival on the surface of the Red Planet. My Life on Mars is Colin Pillinger's personal account of the mission he led and the aftermath of its failureThe story of Beagle 2 is so extraordinary that even a bad book about the adventure would be worth reviewing, and this is not a bad book. Consider the initial conditions. In the 1960s, the British were as excited as anybody else by the Apollo programme and the slow exploration of the distant planets. But in 1971 one British satellite went up on one British rocket (Black Arrow) and that was the end of the adventure. British university scientists clung on to space research in deals with the military, or contracts from Nasa, or by joining European Space Agency teams, and even these co...

Bonus payments for Medicare Advantage plans extended

Managed Healthcare Executive Magazine Online — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

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NHS bosses paid £35m in bonuses

HSJ — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:55:00 +0100

NHS chiefs have been paid more than £35 million in bonuses since 2007/08, according to official figures. (Source: HSJ)

Employers rail at clinical excellence award scheme

HSJ — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Consultant bonuses awarded by trusts reward doctors who “fill in forms” rather than those who work “at the coal face” and should be scrapped or reformed, NHS Employers has argued. (Source: HSJ)

Scottish distinction awards to be scrapped

HSJ — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:48:00 +0100

Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon has called for distinction awards for the country’s top doctors to be scrapped and replaced with a new system of bonuses available to all NHS staff. (Source: HSJ)

NHS bonus scheme must change, says Nicola Sturgeon

Scotsman.com News - Health — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has called for distinction awards for the country's top doctors to be scrapped and replaced with a new system of bonuses available to all (Source: Scotsman.com News - Health)