Appeals Court Strikes Down Individual Mandate in Reform Law

Via Modern Healthcare, Joe Carlson

In a 304-page opinion, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Friday struck down the individual insurance mandate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but allowed the rest of the sweeping law to stand.

In its decision, a divided three-judge panel of the federal appeals court ruled in favor of 26 states that had joined a lawsuit in Pensacola, Fla., which argued the reform law should be struck down because it relies on an unconstitutional expansion of federal power.

The ruling means that the Supreme Court will now have the classic split in the circuit courts that it often relies on when deciding whether to take on a case. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law in June, and the losers in that case filed for permission last month to have their case heard by the Supreme Court.

Read more: http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20110812/NEWS/308119930#ixzz1VCtydEqc
?trk=tynt


Marketing: Boldly Going Where No Practice Has Gone Before

By now, every physician has learned about ACOs, Super Groups, IPAs and the like. Virtually every “new” acronym and idea has revealed itself as a retread old one, so at least physicians are getting more comfortable with the new language of healthcare reform. And they are accepting that no one really knows what’s going to happen and how medical practice will ultimately be years from now.
Nearly every physician has asked in the past year or so “What do I do now?” And they have heard responses from every vendor which translates into “Buy my stuff.” Ask an IT person what to do…”Buy my stuff.” Ask an EMR person what to do…”Buy my stuff.” Ask a lawyer….ok enough.

What to do and when to do it in light of feared changes in healthcare is anyone’s guess. There is, however, one remarkably overlooked area of business which physicians have traditionally neglected and which they must focus on now more than ever—marketing.

Do you have a website? Do you know what SEO is and how it works? Do you believe that patients buy what you do and not just who you are? In the internet age when people buy mattresses online, sight unseen, physicians have to begin to learn about marketing.

Though years ago, practicing medicine was clearly a profession, it is now big business. And physicians who thrive will be those who embrace business practices, including marketing. This takes a huge shift in perception since most physicians look at marketing as an expense, not as a good investment.

If you were told that every dollar invested in marketing will yield five dollars in new business would you spend the money? If you were told that buying a stock will result in a five-fold yield over twelve months, would you invest? Physicians have to look as marketing as a good investment rather than simply as a cost. And those that do will likely grow and thrive.