AllMed Releases Summer 2005 Newsletter

August 2, 2005 — AllMed Healthcare Management, an Independent Review Organization (IRO) providing medical reviews and peer review services to healthcare payers, providers, claims managers, and hospital groups, has released its Summer 2005 edition of Medical Review News.

The newsletter contains the following articles of interest to Claims Managers, Claims Administrators, and Medical Directors at Health Plans, Third Party Administrators, Utilization Review Companies, and Medical Management Companies.

Outlines of the newsletter articles appear below. Click below to view and subscribe to the AllMed Newsletter

http://www.allmedmd.com/newsletter

Article #1— Removing Varicose Veins for Healthy Legs — Is It Covered?

Under what circumstances could varicose vein surgery be covered under health insurance policies?
What is the typical course of treatment for varicose veins?
What steps can a doctor take to get varicose vein treatments covered by health insurance?
What alternatives are available to patients that reject the “conservative” varicose vein course of treatment?

Article #2— Laser Eye Surgery — Will Insurance Pay? Determining the Medical Necessity of “Cosmetic” Treatments

When is refractive eye surgery medically necessary?
What conservative therapy options to Lasik are available?
How can doctors help patients get their Lasik surgery covered by health insurance?
How can a “medical necessity review” performed by an Independent Review Organization (IRO) assist in this process?

Article#3— Outsourcing Preauthorizations For Improved Outcomes

Why should a medical management company or a managed care organization use an Independent Review Organization (IRO) for preauthorization?
What value can an Independent Review Organization (IRO) add to a preauthorization determination?
What types of cases are being sent to Independent Review Organizations (IROs) for preauthorization?
What are some examples of companies who have benefited from preauthorization review?

Article#4— Update: IROs and the Hospital Peer Review Process

Why have hospitals had reluctance to outsource hospital peer reviews?
What benefits can hospitals gain by outsourcing peer reviews to Independent Review Organizations (IROs)?
How does an Independent Review Organization (IRO) handle a hospital peer review case?
Are any white papers available covering the topic of Hospital Peer Review?

AllMed provides medical opinions that quickly resolve complex problems — saving money while protecting the integrity of patient care. AllMed will review chart notes and operative reports to render objective written opinions; help you reach the right decision while reducing legal risk; apply your plan language to the case, if appropriate, give you direct access to our physicians for questions and follow-up on reviews; and supply clear, professional and easy-to-read documentation. AllMed also applies the same high quality standards to its hospital peer review, pharmacy review, medical bill auditing, and medical director review services.

Click the link below to view and subscribe to the AllMed Newsletter.

More information on AllMed and the company’s peer review & medical review services can be found on AllMed’s web site at http://www.allmedmd.com/ .

About AllMed Healthcare Management

Founded in 1995, AllMed (http://www.allmedmd.com/ ) is a URAC-accredited Independent Review Organization (IRO) serving insurance payers, providers, TPAs and claims managers nationwide. Reviews are conducted by board-certified physicians in active practice. AllMed’s growing customer base includes premier organizations, such as Educator’s Mutual Life, IMS Managed Care, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, HealthGuard, several Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, Allianz and many other leading healthcare payers.