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Good analysis of the docs' next steps after the supercommittee failed to draft a package...

Amplify’d from www.kaiserhealthnews.org

Politico Pro’s Matt DoBias and KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey examine what led to the super committee’s failure to cut a deal and discuss what it means for hopes of a permanent "doc fix."

MARY AGNES CAREY:  Physician groups had really hoped to get a sweeping "doc fix" as part of a super committee deal.  That’s not in the cards now, so what’s their next move to stop a payment cut of nearly 30 percent in January?

MATT DOBIAS: I think their best bet for a full repeal had to have come from the super committee; obviously that’s not going to happen.  And so, moving forward, they have to get the fix.  We know that Congress always steps in at the eleventh-hour, at the 11:30th hour sometimes, they’re able to make this deal - and they’ve even done it retroactively.  

But as one health care lobbyist told me today, this now marks the return to regular order. And what he means by that is this idea of the doc fix – reversing these double-digit pay cuts that kick in Jan. 1 – is going to go through the committee process like it typically does.  And this is going to be on the House side: the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees.  On the Senate side it’s going to be Finance. 

It’s not going to be the full repeal that they wanted; that’s got a $300 billion price tag attached to it.  And really, that money really could have only come in the broader deficit-reduction scheme.  So you’re looking at now anywhere from a one to three year patch. 

Now, there are several proposals, and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have really been working on ways to creatively get them their doc fix.  Some of those proposals include one to two, maybe even three years of stable payments while physicians test out new payment models, new practice models – kind of moving towards something that is different than this dreaded SGR, the sustainable growth rate, which is the Medicare formula that leads to these cuts, year-in and year-out for physicians. 

The trade-off is that they’re not getting the full repeal that (it’s not just physician groups) I think any health care group and pretty much any member of Congress will tell you that they would like to have.  That money just simply isn’t there outside of the super committee.  But I’ve been assured that there are "pay-fors" out there finding the right calibrations to pay for this.  This is going to be anywhere from a mid-$20 to high $30 billion fix.  Lawmakers will tell you that there are "pay-fors" that are out there; it’s just a matter of finding the right mix. 

Read more at www.kaiserhealthnews.org

Great list. I can't agree more on how a strong subject line increases your open rate.

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2. AVOID USING ALL CAPS AND EXCESSIVE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!

3. Avoid using too many images, Flash, JavaScript and ActiveX.

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Large email files are slow, bulky and suspicious

7.Are you sure? Are you sure you’re sure?

8. Ask to be whitelisted.

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10. Timing is everything.

11. Pay attention to your subject line.

12. Design for the preview pane.

13. Offer both text and HTML-based email.

14. Assume images will not display.

15. Test in multiple email programs.

16. Avoid temptation for innovation, in some cases.

17. Consistency is key.

18. Don’t fatigue your list.

19. Analyze, Rinse and Repeat.

#10 is especially interesting, so I included the whole paragraph. WOW!

10 Ways Improve Your Memory & Boost Brainpower

Exercise & get your body moving

Eliminate stressors and seek help for depression (if you have it).

Get a good night’s sleep and take naps.

Write it down.

Listen to music.

Feed your brain.

Visual concepts.

Teach someone else.

Do crossword puzzles, read, or play cards.

Eat breakfast and make sure it includes an egg. Accrording to Larry McCleary, M.D., author of  The Brain Trust Program, an egg is the ideal breakfast.  Eggs contain B vitamins, which help nerve cells to burn glucose, antioxidants that protect neurons against damage, and omega-3 fatty acids that keep nerve cells firing at optimal speed.  Other foods to add to your breakfast include fruits, veggies and lean proteins.  Avoid trans fats and high fructose corn syrup.  Trans fats diminish the brain cells’ ability to communicate with eachother, and HFCS can actually shrink the brain by damaging cells.  Having a healthy breakfast in the morning has been shown to improve performance throughout the day.

Read more at www.lifehack.org

Especially agree with #3. Most people will only read your headline. A good one will get across your main point and drive people to read the copy

6 Steps to Craft an Exceptional Blog Post

Step #1 – Define the main thought/idea you want to share

Blog posts, in their nature, are a short form of written art. If they’re longer than 2,000 words they become difficult to digest. Especially nowadays, when no one has the time for anything. Therefore, it’s almost impossible for them to convey more than one main idea at a time.

Step #2 – List all the resources

It’s difficult to write a proper blog post all on your own. So it’s nice to have something you can reference, or get the data from. And you need to have this before you actually start writing.

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Some people say that you shouldn’t begin with a headline. I tend to disagree. Every newspaper publisher will tell you that the headline accounts for 80% of the overall success.

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There are literally hundreds of ways to construct a blog post. Here are some ideas:

Standard introduction-body-summary post, list post, how to guide, Q&A session, FAQ style post, review, interview with someone, case study, piece of news, profile of someone famous, list of links to other posts, problem + solution, comparison of two different solutions for something, inspirational piece, personal story, open question to your readers, beginning of a debate, cheat sheets, checklists, infographics, definition articles.

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Remember to provide a simple solution for the problem you’re writing about.

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