The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued Transmittal 1875 (pdf) to clarify which consultation codes were no longer accepted as of Jan. 1, 2010, according to a report in MLN Matters.
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Caritas's Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass., has acquired Andover (Mass.) Surgery Center, according to a report by the Eagle-Tribune.
Developers of Salem (Va.) Surgical Center are seeking approval from the state to build a 12,100-square-foot ASC and medical office building, according to a report by the Roanoke Times.
Nine U.S. senators are urging the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to develop guidance for hospitals, physicians and others developing collaborative care models that could avert antitrust perils, according to a report by AHA News Now.
The American Hospital Association is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a lower court's False Claims Act decision, saying it would encourage dubious lawsuits, according to a report by AHA News Now.
Scottsdale (Ariz.) Healthcare and Sovereign Healthcare, based in Newport Beach, Calf., have partnered in a joint venture to acquire majority ownership of North Valley Surgery Center in Scottsdale, according to a Scottsdale Healthcare news release.
The federal government reports that healthcare spending in 2008 rose 4.4 percent from the year before, the slowest pace since 1980, according to a report in Health Affairs.
Bausch & Lomb has introduced Crystalens AO, an aberration free accommodating intraocular lens with aspheric optics, according to a Bausch & Lomb news release.
Novartis has announced its intention to gain full ownership of eye care company Alcon, according to a Novartis news release.
A study published in the Jan. 2010 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery found that the risk of early postoperative mortality was slightly increased for the first 26 days after the elective surgery, down significantly from previous…