A study appearing in the July 2010 issue of Anesthesiology showed that inhalation of gaseous hydrogen sulfide can reduce or even prevent lung injury in critical care situations that require mechanical ventilation.

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The bill, passed last night by the U.S. House of Representatives and previously passed by the Senate, will halt the current 21 percent Medicare physician payment cut and provide physicians a 2.2 percent positive payment update for services provided June 1 through November 30, 2010.

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The U.S. House of Representatives will consider and is likely to pass, H.R. 3962, the free-standing “doc-fix” SGR relief bill.

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The ASA urged CMS to not finalize its proposal to expand the number of hospitals eligible for rural pass-through payments until anesthesiologists are also eligible to receive such payments.

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CMS Indicated that once a payment fix is enacted into law, they are prepared to make the appropriate changes to Medicare claims processing systems.

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Since the House and Senate were unable to agree upon legislation that includes an SGR “fix,” a 21 percent Medicare payment cut is now in full effect.

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The Senate passed a free-standing bill that averts the pending 21 percent payment cut and provides physicians a 2.2 percent Medicare update.

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The recall of certain lots of propofol coupled with the latest announcement from Teva that it will cease further production of propofol, has led to many questions and concerns regarding propofol supplies.

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ASA has submitted a letter to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) renewing its March 19, 2009, request for a Special Advisory Bulletin regarding the “company model.”

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CMS recently released a notice to physicians and non-physician practitioners who are currently enrolled in Medicare but who do not have enrollment records in the Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS).

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Since Congress has failed to pass legislation to avert the 21 percent Medicare payment cut, CMS has directed carriers to hold claims through Thursday, June 17.

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 The RAND Corporation finalized and released its An Analysis of the Labor Markets for Anesthesiology.

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Presently, Congress has failed to pass legislation to avert the implementation of the current 21 percent cut to Medicare physician payments.

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In the June Anesthesiology researchers take aim at identifying genetic risk factors for sepsis – a leading cause of death for critically ill patients

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CMS recently released a notice to physicians and non-physician practitioners who are currently enrolled in Medicare but who do not have enrollment records in the Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS).

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ASA strongly supported a recent Congressional letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius urging a review of Medicare payments for anesthesia services as possibly “misvalued.”

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As a result of Congress’ failure to act, a 21 percent Medicare payment cut is in effect for services provided on or after June 1.

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Hospira announced it is voluntarily expanding its March 31, 2010, recall of Propofol and Liposyn to the consumer or user level.

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The Federal Trade Commission has once again delayed the implementation and enforcement of the “Red Flag Rules” intended to protect against identity theft.

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With the Senate already adjourned for the Memorial Day recess, legislation to stave off Medicare payment cuts cannot be enacted

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