Providing Comfort and Mercy: The U.S. Military’s COVID-19 Response Effort
Editor’s Note: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, neurosurgeons have helped bring aid and comfort to neurosurgical patients and those suffering from the novel coronavirus. Today, on Memorial Day, we wish to salute the efforts of the men and women serving in our U.S. Military, who, too, have provided comfort and mercy during this […]
Cross Post – Death By 1,000 Clicks: Where Electronic Health Records Went Wrong
From time to time on Neurosurgery Blog, you will see us cross-posting or linking to items from other places when we believe they hit the mark on an issue. Today’s post highlights a report produced by Fortune Magazine and Kaiser Family Foundation. The report examines how, “the U.S. government claimed that turning American medical charts […]
Halloween Pumpkin-carving Contest Shines Spotlight on #PedsNeurosurgery
In honor of our #PedsNeurosurgery focus effort, neurosurgery’s Washington, DC office staff entered our building’s Halloween pumpkin-carving contest. Not only was this a lot of fun to create, but it shined a spotlight on pediatric neurosurgeons who are superheroes that care for the littlest of patients. You be the judge…how did we do? We are […]
Animation: What’s a Pediatric Neurosurgeon?
Since Neurosurgery Blog has been putting a spotlight on all things pediatric neurosurgery, we wanted to take a moment to answer the following question: What’s a Pediatric Neurosurgeon? Featured below is an animation we developed which explains everything you need to know about these superheroes who care for the littlest of patients. We encourage everyone […]
MIPS, Cost Measures and Innovation from a Neurosurgical Perspective
Clemens M. Schirmer, MD, PhD, FAANS, FACS, FAHA Vice-Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee Geisinger Wilkes Barre, PA The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) is a law that reformed the Medicare payment system by repealing the sustainable growth rate formula (SGR), which calculated payment cuts for physicians. It also created […]
Cost Post – Impact of Insurance Precertification on Neurosurgery Practice and Health Care Delivery
Pre-authorization, prior authorization or precertification is a tool insurance companies use to limit the amount of services they provide for their customers. In essence, it’s a simple way to reduce costs by delaying or not approving planned, non-emergency (elective) surgery for patients who need it. The inefficiency and lack of transparency associated with prior authorization […]
Faces of Neurosurgery: Dr. Ann Stroink, a Tireless Advocate
Guest post from Kristopher T. Kimmell, MD (left) Neurosurgeon at North Kansas City Hospital/Meritas Health North Kansas City, MO Tyler Martin Schmidt, DO (middle) Neurosurgical Resident at University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, NY Gabrielle Santangelo (right) Medical Student at University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester, NY Patients often face difficult decisions regarding their health, […]
ACA: Cost, Coverage, Choice and Change
Guest Post from Deborah L. Benzil, MD, FACS, FAANS Chair, AANS/CNS Communications and Public Relations Committee Mount Kismo Medical Group Columbia University Medical Center Mt Kisco, New York “Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos.” – Mary Shelly Memory can trick us all but […]
Medicare Expenditures Variation after Implementation of the Affordable Care Act
Kimon Bekelis, MD Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University Instructor, the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice A major goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to curb the rising cost of health care and rationalize Medicare spending across different areas of the US.1 For this to be achieved, the law integrated […]
Health Care Complexity: Surprise Medical Bills Explained
Ezriel Edward Kornel, MD, FAANS Assistant clinical professor of neurosurgery, Weill-Cornell Medical College White Plains, NY It’s no secret that health care is an unbelievable complex subject. One of the most complex issues facing the health care system is that of surprise medical bills. Surprise medical bills happen when: Patients receive emergency care by an […]