Ashley Blachford, Author at Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Telemedicine Leads to Referrals

A recent JAMA Network Open Viewpoint article explored the frustrations resulting from the expiration of temporary regulatory changes that were implemented by almost all states to allow physicians to provide telehealth across state lines during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the end of the public health emergency, many licensing waivers ended as well. Some argue that licensure should remain under control of the state while others advocate for a single federal license or full …

No Deal For WellNow and Excellus

WellNow urgent care and health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield were not able to reach an agreement on network status prior to the ultimate expiration of the 2023 contract year, according to a news report on Syracuse.com. Both companies say they’ve engaged in good-faith discussions in an attempt to continue the contract for 2024, and Excellus reportedly offered an increase in reimbursement during negotiations. WellNow is the sole storefront provider of urgent care in central New …

FDA-Approved Genetic Test May Predict Risk of Opioid Addiction

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first clinical test that uses DNA to assess potential risk of opioid use disorder in certain patients, according to an FDA announcement. The new AvertD test is intended as a screening tool clinicians can use before prescribing oral opioid drugs in adult patients who are being considered for short-term treatment of acute pain and who have not previously used oral opioid pain medications. To administer at …

Respiratory Illnesses Surge Across Most of the US

It’s no surprise that the prevalence of respiratory illnesses continued its upward slant in the waning days of 2023. Respiratory illness indicators surged across two-thirds of the nation, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), particularly impacting the Midwest and Northeast, where COVID cases were prevalent. COVID hospitalizations rose by 16.7%, causing 29,000 admissions, contributing to a 10% increase in deaths. The Midwest and Northeast reported moderate to …

FDA Warns of Skin Infections After Med Spa Treatments

A recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning cautioned consumers and medical professionals about adverse events associated with injection lipolysis—a series of injections meant to break down fat cells in the areas around the injection sites. They are often delivered in spa-type settings as cosmetic procedures. The agency said the applications are sold online under the names Aqualyx, Lipodissolve, Lipo Lab, and Kabelline and are not FDA-approved treatments. Side effects include permanent scars, serious infections, …

Sterling Opens New Locations in Idaho, Set to Enter New Markets

Sterling Urgent Care recently cut ribbons on 4 new locations in Boise, Idaho, with an additional location set to open its doors in the state in spring of 2024, according to a press release. The center openings will bring the total number of Sterling rooftops to 19 locations across Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah, with a new entry into Montana planned for the future. The urgent care operator has a unique model in that it’s owned …

If One Spouse Has Hypertension, The Other Spouse May Have It Too

A recent study compared the concordance of hypertension within heterosexual couples and found that in as many as 47% of all hypertension cases, when one spouse has hypertension, so does the other spouse. Within the 4 countries studied, researchers observed a high overall prevalence of hypertension, ranging from 40% to 65% for both wives and husbands separately. At the same time, they observed a high prevalence of spousal concordant hypertension, ranging from 20% to more …

State Laws Guarantee PTO for Employees In 2024

Starting January 1, 2024, employers in several states are implementing new laws regarding time off for employees. For example, in Minnesota, employers must provide paid leave under the earned sick and safe time law. Those working at least 80 hours in a year within the state—including part-time employees—are eligible for the benefit. An employee now earns a guaranteed 1 hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked up to a maximum of 48 …

Study Shows Doxy PEP Did Not Reduce STIs

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine represents the first clinical trial to test whether doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) would prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among cisgender women. Researchers considered 224 subjects assigned to a doxycycline-PEP group and 225 to a standard-care group over 12 months. A total of 109 incident STIs occurred: 50 in the doxycycline-PEP group and 59 in the standard-care group. Chlamydia accounted for 85 of the STIs (78%) with 35 …

The Challenges of Billing Out-of-Network

Phyllis Dobberstein, CPC, CPMA, CPCO, CEMC, CCC One of the biggest challenges for an urgent care is billing insurance as a non-participating provider. When opening a new practice or adding a clinic, completed credentialing and contracting is essential and has a direct impact on the overall success for a new business. Opening without effective dates may result in cash flow shortages due to the fact that most health plans will not offer retroactive effective dates. Additionally, …