WH

On 4.17.15 Debra Goldschmidt of CNN reports:

Talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz is defending himself against a group of doctors who accuse him of "manifesting an egregious lack of integrity" in his TV and promotional work, and who call his faculty position at Columbia University unacceptable...

... Earlier this week, a group of 10 physicians from across the country emailed a letter to Columbia University expressing disapproval that Oz is on the faculty. The email sent to Columbia's faculty dean for Health Sciences and Medicine, Dr. Lee Goldman, said the group is "surprised and dismayed" that Oz is on faculty and that he holds a senior administrative position. Oz is Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery, at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

WIM

Dr. Oz is indeed guilty of promoting unproven remedies. Proponents of alternative medicine are divided as to whether Dr. Oz is beneficial to their cause or a detriment.  

That said, with degrees from Harvard (undergrad) and University of Pennsylvania (MBA from Wharton, MD from the School of Medicine), his educational credentials are beyond reproach. In addition, he is the recipient of many awards and honors.  

It's no secret that government policy makers are committed to bending the cost curve. As physicians, NPs and PAs, hospitals and health systems, payers, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, labs and nutraceutical manufacturers compete for healthcare dollars, doctors are probably best served by closing ranks and minimizing their differences.

WH

Jordan Fabian of The Hill reports on April 16, 2015:

President Obama on Thursday signed a $200 billion Medicare reform package, hailing it as a "significant bipartisan achievement."

The so-called "doc fix" measure is one of the biggest achievements for the new Republican Congress. It permanently ends automatic Medicare payment cuts to doctors that lawmakers have been forced to address every year for almost two decades.

WIM

This closes a painful chapter in Congressional history.

According to KHN:

The measure, which builds upon last year's legislation from the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees and the Senate Finance Committee, would encourage better care coordination and chronic care management, ideas that experts have said are needed in the Medicare program. It would reward providers who receive a "significant portion" of their revenue from an "alternative payment model" or patient-centered medical home with a 5 percent payment bonus. It would also allow broader use of Medicare data for "transparency and quality improvement" purposes.

WH

In an April 13, 2015 Becker's Hospital Review post, Emily Rappleye tells us 10 things to know about Hillary Clinton's views on healthcare.

WIM

Healthcare policy promises to be a hot topic in the 2016 election cycle.