Mesothelioma Helping

New consultant's combination of insurance company and clinic professional experience optimal for teaching doctors how to code and document ethically for maximum revenues, fewer challenged claims.

Mt. Vernon, Ohio  -  December 20, 2007 -- Certified Professional Coder Melissa D. Miller has joined the ACOM Healthcare Business Consulting group as a chiropractic consultant, bringing years of experience with coding and documentation accrued both in the clinic and insurer environment.

"Melissa knows the chiropractic coding and documentation discipline intimately from both sides of the equation," said Senior Consultant Bharon Hoag. "She is ideally qualified to help our clients to understand the thinking of third party payers and why they accept, reject or contest claims submissions. And as a Certified Professional Coder with an extensive clinical and training background she can effectively teach doctors how to code and document ethically to maximize their revenues and minimize contested claims. She also has a strong business sense both at the corporate level and the small business environment of the clinic, a talent that she brings to bear in her consulting work."

Immediately prior to joining ACOM, Miller managed daily billing activities for a multi-doctor chiropractic practice, where she handled all patient and insurance collections, cash posting, electronic claim submissions and allied activities. Earlier, she performed in a similar capacity as the team leader in a multi-physician cardiology and cardiovascular practice with clinic offices and hospital locations. Besides her coding and documentation responsibilities, she maintained the system database, trained new employees, audited daily workflow, reviewed and processed denials, handled electronic claim submissions and monthly invoicing, and processed month-end and year-end reports.

Before transitioning to the clinical side, Miller had worked in claims at a major insurance company and as a medical billing analyst for a managed care organization specializing in workers compensation claims.

As the PPOM specialist at Zurich North America, she handled all State of Michigan provider and facility contracts to ensure that the proper discounts obtained as well as processed all Michigan PPO bills and all reconsiderations and adjustments. Among her other responsibilities were new employee training and the development of training documents, and maintaining and revising guidelines. She assisted in the coding review process as-needed basis, identifying proper billing procedures by providers and the proper use of ICD-9 and CPT codes.

As a medical billing analyst at Health Management Solutions, she reviewed and processed all incoming bills for the Bureau of Workers Compensation. She handled all requests by injured workers, attorneys and providers to ensure proper payments and also reviewed case notes to determine if payment was appropriate and observant of proper ICD-9 and CPT coding.

"I am genuinely delighted to be part of the ACOM Consulting Group mission to raise the skill level among physicians concerning proper and ethical coding and documentation," Miller said. "It will be extremely rewarding to help doctors build more successful practices by getting paid fully and fairly for what they do and building winning relationships with the insurance industry."

About the ACOM Healthcare Business Consulting Group
The ACOM Healthcare Business Consulting Group, a professional services unit of ACOM Solutions, Inc., enables doctors to ethically collect fully for all services performed while protecting themselves against audits, payback demands and possible legal actions. Group consultants diagnose practice problems and provide options for improving chiropractic office operations and addressing the critical coding and document issues that are unique to the profession. For more information call 866-286-5315, ext. 503; email email protected from spam bots; or visit http://www.acomconsulting.com.

CONTACT:    
Mark Firmin
Vice President, Marketing
562-424-7899

Press Contact: VICTOR WORTMAN
Company Name: ACOM Solutions, Inc.
Phone: 310 393 6281
Website: www.acomconsulting.com

# posted by PPC Meso @ 4:14 PM 0 comments

LegalView.com offers readers several mesothelioma resources including its continually updated mesothelioma blog. A recent blog post regarding mesothelioma offered readers an inside into a new mesothelioma treatment center that is to be built in Australia.

Denver, CO  -  December 23, 2007 -- LegalView, the number one source for everything legal on the Internet, recently updated its mesothelioma legal blog to inform readers and sufferers of mesothelioma about a new mesothelioma treatment center that will be built. The new center is scheduled to be open in a year, but, according to news reports, the treatment center's first goal is to ensure that every mesothelioma cancer victim will be able to access treatments available at the center.

Mesothelioma is a deadly and rare form of cancer that is inevitably incurable at the moment. While research continues to lengthen a victim's life as well as to ease the pain the cancer causes, there is still no way to 100 percent treat the cancer. Mesothelioma is usually caused by exposure to asbestos fibers that are breathed into the lung and essentially crystallize causing the development of cancer cells on the lining of the lung. It is typical that mesothelioma occurs anywhere from 10 to 40 years after initial exposure to asbestos. Many are currently being diagnosed with the cancer because of years of negligence by companies who knowingly endangered employees by exposing them to the deadly dust. If you or anyone you know has developed mesothelioma cancer, it may be in your best interest to contact a mesotehlioma law firm for more information.

The new mesothelioma treatment center is being built in honor of a local Sydney man who recently passed away. Bernie Benton was exposed to asbestos and began helping others dealing with the same plight. The mesothelioma treatment center will be one of the world's first asbestos research centers that focuses only on mesothelioma. Those suffering from mesothelioma cancer can find more information on this and other mesothelioma treatments at the mesothelioma information portal.

In addition to information regarding mesothelioma, LegalView.com also offers resources on several additional legal issues that are tragically affecting individuals throughout the country everyday. Readers will be able to find a traumatic brain injury law firm who specializes in helping brain injury victims with consultations and attorney referral services. Individuals who have suffered from a construction accident injury or an auto accident can find information on finding a construction accident attorney or auto accident lawyer through LegalView as well.

About LegalView:

LegalView.com is a public service brought to you by Legal WebTV Network, LLC, a Limited Liability Corporation created by a group of the nation's most highly respected law firms: Anapol Schwartz; Brent Coon and Associates; Burg Simpson; Cohen, Placitella and Roth; James F. Humphreys and Associates; Lopez McHugh; and Thornton and Naumes. For more information on the accomplishments and track records of LegalView.com's superior sponsoring law firms and to get in touch with LegalView attorneys, visit LegalView at www.LegalView.com.

Press Contact: Katie Kelley
Company Name: LegalView
Phone: 720-771-3246
Website: http://www.Legalview.com

# posted by PPC Meso @ 5:30 PM 0 comments

MediPro, Inc. receives two awards at the MediNotes Business Partner Conference in Las Vegas. The company received awards for Best Individual Partner in a Sales Role and President's Club.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) November 15, 2007 -- In an annual business partners conference in Las Vegas, MediNotes Corporation, makers of MediNotes e Electronic Medical Records Software announced that MediPro, Inc. has won awards for Best Individual Partner in a Sales Role and President's Club. These awards were presented to MediPro, Inc. for achieving the highest standard in sales and customer service for MediNotes e in the last year.

The awards were judged on each business's performance in a number of fields. In particular, the medical billing software field based its award decisions on efficiency and quality performance with Partner Company, MediNotes e. With updated information and billing software, MediPro, Inc. receives these honors for being a top company.

Representatives present for MediPro, Inc. were shocked and excited at the announcement of their awards. The company strives to maintain top performance, offering the best quality service. To receive these awards means great things to the business, and the field of billing software in general.

About MediPro, Inc.:

MediPro, Inc. provides a complete solution, including sales, installation, training, and support for MediNotes e EMR Software and has been a business partner with MediNotes since 2003.

MediPro, Inc. is a reseller for many different products, including Lytec Practice Management Software, MediNotes Electronic Medical Records, and DentiMax Dental Software. www.medipro.com also provides numerous other solutions for the health care industry such as remote back and an online appointment reminder system. To see a full list of MediPro, Inc. services, log onto MediPro.com for more information.

Contact:

Marc Beck
MediPro, Inc.
770.953.3546
www.MediPro.com

Press Contact: Marc Beck
Company Name: MediPro Inc
Phone: 770.953.3546
Website: http://www.medipro.com

# posted by PPC Meso @ 3:55 PM 0 comments

How can a tiny mineral kill tens of thousands of people and cost industry billions of dollars? It's actually pretty simple when the mineral is a carcinogen called asbestos and companies tried to hide its dangers. Diseases caused by asbestos include: mesothelioma (http://www.survivingmesothelioma.com), lung cancer, and asbestosis.

(PRWEB) December 13, 2007 -- The Surviving Mesothelioma website http://www.survivingmesothelioma.com has listed some of the most outrageous examples of companies hiding the truth about deadly asbestos from the public and their own employees. The result of this shameful behavior is that thousands of healthy people of all ages have become stricken with debilitating and deadly diseases like mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.

For example in the early 1940's, the president of a major asbestos manufacturing company said that the managers of another company were "a bunch of fools for notifying employees who had asbestosis." When one of the people in attendance asked, "Do you mean to tell me you would let them work until they drop dead?" According to deposition testimony, the response was, "Yes. We save a lot of money that way."

One of the people that may have saved these companies money was Paul Kraus. When Paul was a young man he worked downwind from a factory that cut asbestos sheets. Paul remembers the blue dust wafting in the air and settling all around him - on his clothes, hands and arms, and on his work area. Thirty years later he would be diagnosed with mesothelioma - the "asbestos caused cancer." His prognosis was six months to live. Unlike many others, Paul was quite fortunate. He followed his own path to healing and continues to live a healthy, quality life, ten years after he was first diagnosed. He described his experiences in his acclaimed book: Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient's Guide.

To learn more about the outrageous corporate behavior that led to exposing tens of thousands of people to asbestos visit:http://www.survivingmesothelioma.com/mesothelioma-asbestos-lessons.cfm

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and want to learn more about mesothelioma survivor Paul Kraus' story visit:http://www.survivingmesothelioma.com

Press Contact: Michael Horwin
Company Name: Cancer Monthly
Phone: 919-570-8595
Website: http://www.survivingmesothelioma.com

# posted by PPC Meso @ 9:43 AM 0 comments

Avandia Withdrawal Rates Are Far Lower in EU than in the US, According to TNS Healthcare

LONDON, December 9, 2007- New research from TNS Healthcare's DiabetesDynamics shows major differences between the US and Europe in Avandia prescribing since the publication of a meta-analysis in New England Journal of Medicine (May 2007) raising concerns about cardiac safety. In the US between July and September of 2007 nearly 70% of Avandia prescribing changes resulted from withdrawals-mainly physicians switching patients to another therapy. The picture in the five main European countries was very different, however, with withdrawals ranging from 42% to just 3% of all Avandia prescribing changes.

"Avandia prescribing has always been dynamic," says Philip O'Hagan, International Client Services Director for TNS Healthcare. "Our research shows that, in the first half of 2007, 20% of physician consultations in the US resulted in some kind of therapy change. During that time, 84% of those changes were positive-physicians starting new patients on Avandia, adding it to existing regimens or switching patients to Avandia from other therapies. In the third quarter-following Avandia's reported link to cardiac risk-there was a dramatic turnaround, with almost 70% of Avandia changes in the US resulting from doctors taking patients off the drug.

"Europe has seen far less drastic change in Avandia prescribing. As in the US, during the first half of the year, the vast majority of Avandia prescribing changes in Europe were positive-93% in Spain, 92% in Germany and Italy, 88% in the UK and 80% in France. In the third quarter, we do see a rise in patients taken off Avandia, with withdrawals accounting for 42% of prescribing changes in the UK, 30% in France, 28% in Spain, 12% in Germany and 3% in Italy. The increase in European Avandia withdrawals, however, is not nearly as dramatic as in the US."

Fear about Cardiovascular Risks Is Lower in Europe

DiabetesDynamics reveals that one of the main reasons physicians in the US are switching patients from Avandia is its reported link to cardiovascular risks. During the first half of 2007, there were no cases of switching due to cardiac problems, though there were the first rumblings that publicity about side effects was beginning to have an effect. During the third quarter of the year, however, there was a massive change, with cardiac problems now the reason for 20% of Avandia withdrawals.

Once again however, the story across much of Europe was different, though results varied by country. UK physicians expressed the same concerns as US doctors, citing cardiac risks as the driver behind 28% of withdrawals. Physicians in other European countries, however, did not share these concerns over cardiac safety. For instance, no Spanish physicians mentioned cardiac risk as a reason for prescribing changes. (continued)

"Clearly, reports of Avandia being linked to increased cardiovascular risk are having a different impact in different countries," says O'Hagan. "While the reports have had a huge effect on US prescribing, their influence has been less intense and less consistent across Europe. There is quite a wide range in the levels of both withdrawal activity and cardiac concern from country to country. These variations make it critical for companies to track Avandia prescribing across all their key markets-and be able to compare and respond to different dynamics.

"Over the next several months, we will use DiabetesDynamics to monitor prescribing activity across the US and major European markets, tracking what happens to patients taken off Avandia or other treatments.which therapies are serving as replacements and why.and how recent media reports have affected other drugs and classes. With the recent withdrawal of Exubera and new concerns over Byetta's possible link to acute pancreatitis, the upheaval in the diabetes market is likely to continue and grow. Diabetes marketers will need ongoing, market-specific information to manage their brands effectively in this volatile environment."

DiabetesDynamics Tracks Therapy Changes

TNS Healthcare's findings on diabetes prescribing changes are drawn from DiabetesDynamics-its quarterly resource for tracking therapy changes and the causative factors behind them in the type-2 diabetes market. DiabetesDynamics samples only type-2 diabetes patients who have experienced some type of treatment change in their last consultation. It focuses on monitoring market dynamics, including prescribing initiations, switches, add-ins, dosage changes and withdrawals, as well as the impact of new launches, competitive activity or other market events.

About TNS Healthcare.

TNS Healthcare provides market research consulting to the worldwide pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries, as well as health-focused ad agencies, media and analysts. It offers globally consistent solutions and custom advisory services to support product introductions; brand, treatment and sales performance optimization; and physician and DTC promotional assessment.

Informing decisions across the life cycle, TNS Healthcare offers action-ready insights for pre-launch landscaping, market and opportunity assessment, segmentation, positioning, message and campaign creation, pricing, forecasting, attitude and awareness measurement and post-launch tracking. It delivers information across stakeholders-including physicians, patients and consumers-to help companies anticipate and impact customers' behaviors. TNS Healthcare provides both qualitative and quantitative offerings, using traditional and on-line methodologies, combining worldwide reach with local expertise.

About TNS.

TNS is a global market insight and information group.

Our strategic goal is to be recognized as the global leader in delivering value-added information and insights that help our clients to make more effective decisions.

As industry thought leaders, our people deliver innovative thinking and excellent service to global organizations and local clients worldwide. We work in partnership with our clients, meeting their needs for high-quality information, analysis and foresight across our network of over 70 countries.

We are the world's foremost provider of custom research and analysis, combining in-depth industry sector understanding with world-class expertise in the areas of Retail and Shopper Insights, Stakeholder Management, New Product Development, and Brand and Communications.

We are a major supplier of consumer panel, media intelligence and internet, TV and radio audience measurement services.

TNS is the sixth sense of business.

For More Information.

For more information on DiabetesDyamics, please contact Philip O'Hagan at +44 1372 825622 or Philip.O'Hagan@tns-global.com. To learn more about TNS Healthcare, please visit our Web site at www.tnsglobal.com/healthcare or contact Ilene Siegalovsky, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at 201-836-0040, ext. 225 or Ilene.Siegalovsky@tns-global.com.

# posted by PPC Meso @ 2:47 PM 0 comments