05 Jan 2019

IT’S A LITTLE-KNOWN SECRET THAT PATIENTS CAN GET THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DIRECTLY FROM A DRUGMAKER

      By Sarah Jane Tribble   Kip Burgess was relieved last year when pharmaceutical giant Amgen overnighted him a $2,976 check to help pay for his go-to arthritis drug, Enbrel. The 36-year-old psychologist had run into an increasingly common problem: The copay coupon sent by Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based Amgen

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03 Jan 2019

IN.PACT ADMIRAL:  MEDTRONIC SHARES FIVE-YEAR DRUG-COATED BALLOON DATA

  Medtronic plc data presented Nov. 12 reinforce the durability, safety, and effectiveness of the IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloon (DCB) in patients with peripheral artery disease in the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries. The five-year and final results from the pivotal IN.PACT SFA Trial and one-year all-subjects results from the

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03 Jan 2019

KENNETH OSORIO, MD: A successful vein specialist leads missions of mercy to Caraz, Peru

  By John A. Chuback, MD, FACS, RPVI, RVT, RPhS   Kenneth Osorio, MD, is a successful phlebologist and the medical director of Advanced Vein Center, a very active clinical practice in Mesa, Arizona. Despite his many professional accomplishments, he has not forgotten his roots; nor has Dr. Osorio forgotten

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03 Jan 2019

OFFICE MANAGERS CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR PRACTICE

  By Jeffrey Miller How important are your office managers? Important in any business, they are particularly valuable in healthcare. In fact, they can single handedly make the difference between your practice’s success and failure. An excerpt from the book “All In” drives this message home:   Recently, we worked

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03 Jan 2019

TREATING TORTUOUS VEINS: ‘I have chosen not to treat my patients…by administering PCF’

  By Eric Wellons, MD As a physician who treats patients with varicose veins, I have a variety of tools at my disposal that can relieve the significant disability brought on by the symptoms of this common vascular condition, such as achiness and a “heavy” feeling in the legs. In

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02 Jan 2019

MARVELS OF THE VEIN AND VASCULAR DIAGNOSTICS CENTER

By Javier Calderon, RVT Imagine if you or your close family member has struggled with pain for months, even years, with no relief. This constant pain, itching swelling and general feeling of heaviness in the lower legs can severely alter a person’s lifestyle and make life extremely miserable. Now imagine

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02 Jan 2019

IMPROVING WISELY: COLLABORATION HELPS IDENTIFY, CUT HEALTHCARE WASTE

By Vanessa Salvia In the elegant Presidential Ballroom of the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Martin “Marty” Makary, MD, addressed American College of Phlebology’s 32nd Annual Congress attendees eager to hear his message about how the program Improving Wisely is helping to reduce waste in healthcare. More than 1,200 registrants,

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31 Dec 2018

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC LINES UP FINANCING FOR ITS $4B BTG ACQUISITION

Now that everyone has said yes, Boston Scientific has gone to the banks to sign a number of new lending agreements, including a large credit facility it could use to finance its $4.2 billion acquisition offer for British medical device maker BTG plc. The information, which came from recently posted

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30 Dec 2018

CMS SUPPLY NUMBER RATE REDUCTIONS FOR 2019 LOWEST FOR CLARIVEIN

  By Larry Storer The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a final rule Nov. 1, 2018, that includes updates to payment policies, payment rates and quality provisions for services furnished under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on or after Jan. 1, 2019. The effect of CMS changes to

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30 Dec 2018

BOSTON SCIENTIFIC ACQUIRING BTG

Boston Scientific has reached an agreement on the terms of a recommended offer to acquire BTG plc., a United Kingdom-based company that develops and commercializes products used in minimally-invasive procedures, targeting vascular diseases and cancer, as well as acute care pharmaceuticals. Under the terms of the transaction, holders of BTG’s

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