SURVEY on COVID-19’s Impact On Physician Practices and Employment

***

By Staff Reporters

***

***

• 108,700 additional physicians became employees of hospitals or other corporate entities – 83,000 of that shift occurred after the onset of COVID-19.
• Hospital and other corporate entities acquired 36,200 additional physician practices over the three-year period, resulting in a 38% increase in the percentage of corporate owned practices.
• 58,200 additional physicians become hospital employees – 51,000 of that shift occurred after the onset of COVID-19.
• 50,500 additional physicians became employees of corporate entities – 32,000 of that shift occurred after the onset of COVID-19.

Source: Physicians Advocacy Institute, April 2022

***

Great Resignation: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/03/08/healthcare-industry-hit-with-the-great-resignation-retirement/

***

***

****

UPDATE: The Markets, COVID and Home Prices

By Staff Reporters

***

***

  • Markets: Yesterday was a tale of two markets. The Dow, which is home to blue-chip corporations like P&G, gained, while the NASDAQ, comprised of tech stocks, fell. Netflix is now the worst performing stock in the S&P this year.
  • Covid: The DOJ appealed a judge’s ruling that overturned a federal mask mandate for transportation. The move came at the suggestion of the CDC, which determined that people should still wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.
  • Homes: The median existing-home price in the US hit an all-time high of $375,300 in March, up 15% from the year before. With surging mortgage rates and higher home prices, the average borrower is paying ~38% more than they would have for the same home a year ago, according to Realtor.com.

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

***

***

What is the plan for a future with COVID?

***

***

Q: What is the plan for a future with COVID?
A:
A new 136-page report written by dozens of experts provides a comprehensive roadmap to the next normal both to address the pandemic and protect against future biosecurity threats. The group identified 12 key areas of focus, including long COVID, equity, and vaccines. The report also addressed concerns about how the end of the pandemic will disrupt the U.S. health care system when policies introduced during the public health emergency come to an end. 

***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

***

***

COVID, Inflation and Value Investing [Millennial Interview]

***

By Vitaliy Katsenelson CFA

***

COVID, Inflation, and Value Investing: Millennial Investing Interview
I was recently interviewed by Millennial Investors podcast. They sent me questions ahead of time that they wanted to ask me “on the air”. I found some of the questions very interesting and wanted to explore deeper. Thus, I ended up writing answers to them (I think through writing). You can listen to the podcast here

By the way, I often get asked how I find time to write. Do I even do investment research? Considering how much content I’ve been spewing out lately, I can understand these questions. In short – I write two hours a day, early in the morning (usually from 5–7am), every single day. I don’t have time-draining hobbies like golf. I rarely watch sports. I have a great team at IMA, and I delegate a lot. I spend the bulk of my day on research because I love doing it. 

This is not the first time I was asked these questions. If you’d like to adapt some of my daily hacks in your life, read this essay.

***

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

***

Update on COVID-19 Booster Shots

***

***

Update on COVID-19 booster shots
In case you missed it: If you or a loved one are 50 or older, or are moderately or severely immunocompromised, you can get an additional Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 booster shot at no cost to you.

The CDC recommends an additional booster shot for certain individuals to increase protection from severe disease from COVID-19. People over the age of 50, or who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, can get an additional booster of Pfizer or Moderna 4 months after their last dose.

This is especially important for those 65 and older who are at higher risk from severe disease and most likely to benefit from getting an additional booster.

Learn More: Remember: Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine, including booster shots, at no cost to you. Find a COVID-19 vaccine location near you.

Sincerely
The Medicare Team

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

MORE: https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-coronavirus?utm_campaign=20220406_cvd_prv_gal&utm_content=english&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

***

***

The Millennial Spend on COVID-19 Tests?

By Dr. David E. Marcinko MBA CMP®

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

***

***

Millennials Spent the most on COVID-19 tests ($142)

A recent ValuePenguin survey found out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 tests on average varied by age groups as follows:

 •  Gen Zers (ages 18-25): $125
 •  Millennials (ages 26-41): $142
 •  Gen Xers (ages 42-56): $101
 •  Baby boomers (ages 57-76): $59

Source: ValuePenguin, “COVID-19 Testing Survey: Americans Talk Out-of-Pocket Charges, Bill Negotiations, Barriers,” February 14, 2022

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

***

***

UPDATE: The Stock Markets and IRS Online Taxpayer ID

***

By Staff Reporters

***

MARKETS: The S&P 500 fell into a correction for the first time in two years, joining the NASDAQ Composite, as Russia sent troops into pro-Russian regions in Ukraine. The S&P 500 index ended down 1% at 4,304.76, below the correction level at 4,316.91, which would represent a 10% drop from its January 3rd record close. A correction is commonly defined by market technicians as a fall of at least 10% (but not greater than 20%) from a recent peak. The last time the S&P 500 entered a correction was February 27th 2020, when the market was being whipsawed by fears about the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.

And, this bearish market isn’t sparing 2021 winners like Home Depot, which fell the most in nearly two years after supply-chain bottlenecks squeezed its margins. HD was the Dow’s biggest gainer last year.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

***

***

IRS: According to a news release issued by the IRS, taxpayers now have the option to verify their identities during live, virtual interviews with agents. The agency stresses that no bio-metric data will be required for those interviews.

However, taxpayers once again have the option to verify their identity using ID.me’s facial recognition services. Addressing privacy concerns, the IRS says new requirements are in place to ensure that images provided will be deleted upon verification. That would apply to any new IRS accounts created and those where selfies have already been collected.

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

***

COVID INFECTIONS: The Un-Vaccinated

By Staff Reporters

***

***

33.6% of COVID Infections Were in Unvaccinated Persons

According to a recent CDC study. Among 422,966 reported SARS-CoV-2 infections in LAC residents aged ≥18 years during November 7, 2021–January 8, 2022:

 •  33.6% were in unvaccinated persons
 •  13.3% were in fully vaccinated persons with a booster
 •  53.2% were in fully vaccinated persons without a booster
 •  Unvaccinated persons were most likely to be hospitalized, representing 2.8% of COVID infections
 •  Unvaccinated persons were most likely to be admitted to an ICU, or 0.5% of COVID infections
 •  Unvaccinated persons were most likely to be require intubation for mechanical ventilation, or 0.2% of COVID infections.

Source: CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, February 1, 2022

Lost Vaccine Card: https://portal.ct.gov/vaccine-portal/Vaccine-Knowledge-Base/Articles/Lost-Vaccine-Card?language=en_US

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

***

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

ENDEMIC: Definitions for Related Terms

By Staff Reporters

***

Endemic: A constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease or infection, such as the Corona virus, within a geographic area. (Hyperendemic is a situation in which there are persistent high levels of disease occurrence.)

MORE: https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/what-is-an-endemic-virus

As opposed to the terms epidemic, pandemic and sporadic.

RELATED: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2022/01/13/pandemic-versus-epidemic/

Seasonal Flu: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/smallbusiness/bill-gates-is-releasing-a-new-book-about-how-to-avoid-another-pandemic-heres-what-we-know/ar-AATFjcO?li=BBnbfcL

***

How can the world adapt to Covid-19 in the long term? | News | Wellcome

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

Thank You

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

****

UPDATE: Stock Markets, the Economy and Pandemic

By Staff Reporters

CMP logo

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

***

  • Stock Markets: US stocks staged a big afternoon comeback for the second day in a row … but still not big enough to close in the green. American Express was the top performer in both the S&P and the Dow after the company reported its highest billings volume ever in Q4. And, enthusiasm over meme stocks more broadly appears to be dwindling along with cryptos. And, while NASDAQ took a hit, Microsoft reported quarterly sales of more than $50 billion for the first time ever.
  • Economy: The weight of the financial world is on Jerome Powell’s shoulders today. The Federal Reserve chair will provide an update on the central bank’s views on sky-high inflation and its plan for interest rate hikes this year (though none are expected until March).
  • Pandemic: Pfizer and BioNTech started clinical trials for an Omicron-specific vaccine yesterday. The results will help the pharma partners decide whether to replace their current jab formula with one that targets the most dominant Covid variant. The new vaccine is being tested both as a three-shot series for un-vaccinated participants and as a booster for the already vaccinated.
  • CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

***

UPDATE: Markets and the Economy

By Staff Reporters

***

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

Thank You

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

TELE-MEDICINE Fraud, Abuse and New Barriers!

Telemedicine: Fraud and Abuse During the COVID Pandemic

By Susan Walberg

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it huge challenges for people all over the world; not only the obvious health-related concerns but also shutdowns, unemployment, financial difficulties, and a variety of lifestyle changes as a result.

When the COVID pandemic struck, CMS quickly recognized that access to care would be an issue, with healthcare resources strained and many providers or suppliers shutting down their offices or drastically limiting availability. Patients who needed routine care or follow-up visits were at risk for not receiving services during a time when healthcare providers were scrambling to enhance infection control measures and implement other new safety standards to protect patients and healthcare workers.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has responded by easing restrictions and regulatory burdens in order to allow patients to receive the healthcare services they need without undue access challenges. One key area that has changed is the restrictions related to telehealth services, which were previously only paid by Medicare under certain circumstances, such as patients living in remote areas.

Among the changes and waivers CMS has offered, telemedicine reimbursement is among the more significant. Telemedicine services, which includes office visits and ‘check ins’ are now allowed and reimbursed by Medicare. In addition to reimbursement changes, CMS has also relaxed the HIPAA privacy and information security enforcement standards, paving the way for providers to adopt a new model of providing services electronically.

TELE-HEALTH BARRIERS: https://www.statnews.com/2021/07/13/telehealth-provisions-emergency-patients/

See the source image

MORE:  https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2021/05/18/fraud-schemes-of-few-medical-providers/

Your thoughts are appreciated.

THANK YOU

***

Will Mr. Market Eat Too Much Pi?

By Vitaliy Katsenelson CFA

****

This Holiday, Will Mr. Market Eat Too Much Pi?
You can also listen to a professional narration of this article on iTunes, Google & online.

Mr. Market was less than kind to our portfolio over the last few months, and especially the last few weeks. I cannot tell you how little it worries us what Mr. Market thinks about our stocks at any particular point in time. We love* our portfolio even if the Mr. Market doesn’t fancy it today.

Also, before we take Mr. Market seriously, let us tell you about the rationality of Mr. Market lately. The World Health Organization (WHO) names each variant of the Covid virus by going to the next letter of the Greek alphabet. After Delta, which is currently the most predominant variant of the virus ravaging the world, there must have been nine others that were not important enough because we never heard of them. Why nine? Because when the latest variant of concern was found in South Africa, it emerged that the letter Nu was supposed to be applied to it. But Nu sounds a lot like new. WHO didn’t want to confuse people, so it skipped to the next letter in the Greek Alphabet, which is Xi – oops, that’s the Chinese supreme dictator. So, for the sake of global political stability, that letter was skipped, too.
This brings us to Omicron, the name of the latest variant.

This is where this story gets a bit more interesting.

The one disruption that really puzzles me is the labor shortage. There are millions of jobs going unfilled today. I hear stories of Starbucks stores being closed due to a lack of workers. Every service that has a heavy labor component has gotten worse – be it restaurants, ride-sharing, or pharmacies. There happens to be a cryptocurrency, one of thousands, that is also named Omicron. I still cannot grasp the logic behind it, but that cryptocurrency was up 900% on the day the South African variant was christened. There must have been a trading algorithm or a lot of bored investors looking for the next gamble, to drive something seemingly worthless up 900%.

That is the drunken Mr. Market that is pricing our stocks today.

I am going to repeat what you will find me saying several times in the letter: We own businesses that are priced, not valued, by Mr. Market thousands of times a day. We have done a lot of work on each company in the portfolio, and through diligent research we have reached the conclusion that each is worth more than the price it is changing hands at today. Are we going to be right about each and every stock? Of course not. This is a numbers game. But we use a time-tested methodology centered on common sense and the cash flows these businesses generate. Also, this is not our first rodeo. We’ll go on making small tweaks, taking advantage of Mr. Market’s manic-depressive moods, at least when it comes to anything that generates cash flows.

Of course, we could change our investment process and load up on the cryptocurrency called Pi Coin, which happens to take its name from the letter in the Greek alphabet that follows Omicron. But I think we all agree we should stick to our knitting, buying high-quality businesses that are significantly undervalued. (Anyway we already loaded up on pie during Thanksgiving.)

Our advice – enjoy this holiday season. Spend time with your loved ones; don’t look at your portfolio. Let us worry about it – after all, we own the same stocks you do.

We wish you joyful and safe holidays.

***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

Thank You

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST

***

Healthcare NOT a Part of the US Inflation Surge!

WHO KNEW?

By Staff Reporters

****

According to Wikipedia, in economics, inflation refers to a general progressive increase in prices of goods and services in an economy.[1] When the general price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation corresponds to a reduction in the purchasing power of money.[2][3] The opposite of inflation is deflation, a sustained decrease in the general price level of goods and services. The common measure of inflation is the inflation rate, the annualised percentage change in a general price index.[4]

READ MORE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflation

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

***

***

Health Care Price Changes and Per Capita Growth in Medicare | Mercatus  Center

***

Healthcare Not a Part of the US Inflation Surge: Who Knew?

However, according to Jeff Goldsmith, overall health spending has only risen by 4.4% since January of 2020, and the percentage of GDP devoted to health has fallen by more than half a percent, from 18.1% pre-pandemic to 17.5% in October.   This is despite four surges of COVID hospitalizations, overflowing ICUs and ERs, labor shortages, and other COVID-related stresses.  Health system staffing levels are still nearly a half-million lower than they were pre-pandemic.  Had the federal government not stepped in through the CARES Act, FEMA funding, and temporary suspensions of Medicare rate cuts, the nations’ hospitals would have been seriously damaged by COVID-related financial stresses, which are far from being over.  

ESSAY: https://thehealthcareblog.com/blog/2021/11/19/healthcare-not-a-part-of-the-us-inflation-surge-who-knew/

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

Thank You

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

***

Round-Up on MARKETS and MEDICINE: 2022

By Staff Reporters

***

  • Stock Markets: The three major equity indexes begin 2022 near record highs after closing out their best 3-year performance since 1999. The top-performing S&P sectors: Energy, whose 48% annual gain was its best ever (thank you, soaring oil prices). Real estate was the second-best performing sector at 42%, while tech and financials both rose 33%. The biggest winner in the S&P was Devon Energy, which gained nearly 190%. Ford, Moderna, and nine others in the index more than doubled their stock price. Microsoft rose 51%, and Apple’s 34% gain has it sitting close to a $3 trillion market capitalization.
  • Covid Medicine: Omicron has caused a rapid explosion of Covid cases in the US—the 7-day rolling average of nearly 400,000 new cases on Saturday was more than double the number from one week before. With hospitalizations also ticking higher, officials are warning that health systems will be overloaded before the Omicron wave is expected to peak in mid-January. And, Dr. Anthony Fauci said yesterday that health officials are looking at adding a negative test requirement after five days of quarantine. Under existing guidance, you can emerge from isolation without showing a negative test.
  • CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED

Subscribe to the Medical Executive-Post

***

***

PODCAST Year End 2021: Rich Helppie Interviews Dr. James R. Baker, Jr., M.D.

The Common Bridge

****

Entering the Last Chapter of Covid, From Omicron and Beyond – With Dr. James R. Baker, Jr., M.D.
Richard Helppie welcomes back University of Michigan Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine, and Virologist, Dr. James R. Baker, Jr., M.D., who brings words of both encouragement and warning as the world comes to what he feels is the beginning of the final throws of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Dr. Baker has been a valued guest on the Common Bridge since the beginnings of the coronavirus over a year ago, and brings thoughtful, scientific, data-driven analysis to the most significant health issue of our lifetime.

***

PODCAST: https://richardhelppie.com/james-baker/

***

***

***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

Thank You

***

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE 2021: Stock Markets and Medicine

BY STAFF REPORTERS

***

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

***

***

UPDATE: Stock Markets and the Economy

By staff reporters

***

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

Thank You

***

UPDATE: Markets, Money and Covid

***

  • Markets: Down big one day, up big the next—that’s the Omicron-era stock market for you. Stocks surged yesterday following a 3-day losing streak, with travel companies leading the way.
  • Covid: The FDA is set to authorize Covid pills from Pfizer and Merck this week, Bloomberg reports. These treatments, which are intended to be taken by vulnerable people shortly after they are infected, could significantly reduce the burden on strained hospitals. Experts say the pills are a pandemic medical milestone second only to vaccines.
  • CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

***

***

COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

Thank You

***

UPDATE: Markets and Medicine

By Staff Reporters

***

The Federal Reserve announced that it will stop buying bonds about three months earlier than initially planned. The Fed now plans to trim its monthly Treasury and mortgage-backed security purchases by $30 billion a month starting next month. The new pace is expected to put an end to bond buying by March.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

The Fed also announced that it would leave interest rates unchanged at near-zero percent. The announcement paves the way for three interest rate hikes by the end of 2022, which could weigh on tech and growth stocks.

UPDATE: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/tech-takes-a-beating-as-central-banks-pull-back/vi-AARTp0n

  • Markets: Stocks reversed their post-Federal Reserve announcement rally with a stinker of a day—especially tech stocks. Semiconductor companies like AMD and Nvidia got particularly thwacked.
  • Covid: The CDC recommended adults use Moderna’s and Pfizer’s Covid vaccines over J&J’s due to the risk of developing rare but serious blood clots.

MORE: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/stocks-fall-as-investors-digest-feds-latest-move/vi-AARTm2C

***
COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

***

***

Thank You

***

Economic Market Update

By Staff Reporters

***

***

YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

***

***

THANK YOU

***

TRIFECTA Update: Markets, Covid and Congress

TOPICS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ON THE ME-P

By Staff Reporters

***

  • Markets: Omicron who? Fed tapering what? Stocks continued to roar back from their post-Thanksgiving hangover, with tech shares leading the way. The NASDAQ had its best day since March.
  • Covid: Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is less effective, but still provides some protection, against the Omicron variant, an early study from South Africa showed.
  • US Government: Congress had a busy evening. Lawmakers reached a deal to raise the country’s debt ceiling, and the House passed a $768 billion defense policy bill that increases pay for service members.
  • Citation: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

***
YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

***

Thank You

***

Recent Weekend Stock Market Volatility

By Staff Reporters

***

WHAT A WEEK!

  • Markets: Stocks ended a topsy-turvy week with another stinker yesterday, dragged netherward (big word alert) by the tech sector. Meta shares nearly entered a bear market, falling almost 20% from a closing record in September. Still, the S&P was down less than 1% for the week.
  • CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549
  • Covid: The first bits of solid Omicron data are starting to trickle out. One study from South Africa showed that the new variant may cause a higher rate of reinfection in people who already got Covid. Critical information on the effectiveness of current vaccines against Omicron could come in a few days, a WHO scientist said.

COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

Thank You

***

***

The Bear MARKETS and Cyber ECONOMY

By Staff Reporters

  • Markets: Stocks dropped sharply in the post-Thanksgiving trading session on Friday due to concerns over the new Covid variant, Omicron. The Dow fell 2.5% for its worst day of the year, and the S&P also tumbled 2.3%. Oil prices and travel stocks also got rocked given fresh worries over travel demand, while “stay-at-home” names like Peloton and Zoom got a boost.
See the source image
  • Economy: It’s still way too early to know the impact of Omicron on economic growth. As we laid out last week, the Fed is under pressure to accelerate the winding down of its stimulus measures in order to battle inflation, but the new variant could change the calculus. Investors dialed back their expectations of a sooner-than-expected rate increase on Friday.

YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

Thank You

***

***

Tele-Health Financial Expansion

BY HEALTH CAPITAL CONSULTANTS, LLC

****

Additional $20 Million Directed to Rural Telehealth Expansion

It has been well documented that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unprecedented increases in telemedicine utilization across the U.S. However, rural providers and patients, as evidenced by their lower rates of telemedicine usage during this time, have not been able to take advantage of the opportunities provided by telemedicine to the same extent as urban providers.

On August 18, 2021, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the latest attempt to ameliorate this issue – the distribution of nearly $20 million to 36 recipients for the purpose of strengthening telehealth services in rural and underserved communities and expanding innovation and quality. (Read more…)

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

***

YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

Thank You

***

***

Study Finds COVID-19 Accelerated Physician Practice Acquisitions

Study Finds COVID-19 Accelerated Physician Practice Acquisitions

By Health Capital Consultants, LLC


A recent study from Physicians Advocacy Institute (PAI), prepared by Avalere Health, associated the growing number of both physician practice acquisitions and employed physicians between 2019 and 2021 with the COVID-19 pandemic.

To study COVID-19’s impact on physician employment trends, the June 2021 study evaluated the IQVIA OneKey database that contains physician practice and health system ownership information.

HC Topics Banner Image

To assess these trends at a national and regional level, Avalere researchers studied the two-year period from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2021. (Read more…)

YOUR COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

Thank You

***

Cumulative Covid-19 Vaccination Doses Administered to-Date!

2021 Vaccine Equity

January 16, 2021

***

***

How Did We Screw Up the Pandemic So Badly?

By Bertalan Mesk MD PhD

***

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-did-we-screw-pandemic-up-so-bad-bertalan-mesk%C3%B3-md-phd/?trk=eml-email_series_follow_newsletter_01-hero-257-title_link&midToken=AQGGg4QStFgVOA&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=0zs6pcrWG-_9o1

***

***