Journal of Urgent Care Medicine

Proposed Law Could Diminish Need for Workplace Drug Testing in California

As we’ve discussed here previously, the more widespread legalization of marijuana use around the country is presenting any number of challenges for urgent care providers who offer drug-testing services to occupational medicine customers. One wrinkle: Legalization does not necessarily affect regulations laid down by employers regarding employee use. Some legislators in California want to put a stop to that by enacting legislation that would protect workers from disciplinary action, including dismissal, for using marijuana. Assembly …

Ohio Bill Aims to Make It Harder for Insurers to Deny ED Claims

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield raised the ire of hospitals, some physicians, and patient-advocacy groups when it enacted a policy of denying claims for ED visits it eventually deems to have been nonemergent. A new bill in Ohio would put a stop to that practice as it now exists, on the grounds that the policy amounts to noncompliance with state insurance regulations. As such, Anthem would lose standing to secure state government contracts, as well …

CDC Says Flu Season Has Peaked—but More Deaths Are Likely

Though 45 states still report “widespread cases” of influenza, the total number of new cases in the United States is down for the second week in a row, leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to declare that flu season has peaked. Only 5% of people visited providers complaining of flu symptoms last week, down from 6.4% the previous week. The agency cautioned that this does not mean it’s time to be less vigilant …

Telemedicine Meets Occ Med Rehab in New Concentra Initiative in California

Workers who need to rehab injuries can now do so without schlepping to a physical therapy practice under a new initiative just launched by Concentra in California. The “telerehab” program hooks up employees with workers comp claims with Concentra therapy clinicians from home or work, with the intention of improving compliance and speeding recovery and return to full function on the job. Presumably, the program will be expanded to others states if it’s successful.

Merchant Medicine: Privately Owned Urgent Care Operators Are Outpacing Hospitals

Hospital-owned urgent care centers continue to be a growing segment of the marketplace—but their growth is still not on pace with privately owned companies, especially larger entities like MedExpress, CityMD, and others, according to a new report from Merchant Medicine. In Calm Before the Storm?, CEO Tom Charland points out that industry growth last year was led by “top independent operators” who grew 11% in 2017. Hospitals are opening more centers, too, just not as …

Forbes Picks Up on Urgent Care’s Ongoing Growth

The country’s most recognized business publication has picked up on what we’ve been sharing with you all along: The urgent care market has done nothing but grow in recent years, to the point that it’s overall value is now estimated to be $18 billion. Forbes just ran an article also noting that the most recent industry projections see further growth of 5.8% in this year alone. Forbes observed that our industry is not only growing …

Apple Plans to Open Onsite Employee Health Clinics

Perhaps inspired by plans other major employers have to launch their own healthcare entities for employees, Apple will roll out onsite health clinics for its workers this spring as it scales back dependence on outside providers. Rather than making a formal announcement, however, Apple launched a new website for AC Wellness—recognizing correctly that business media would take notice. The site describes AC Wellness as “an independent medical practice dedicated to delivering compassionate, effective healthcare to …

New Guidelines on Prescribing Opiates in the ED

Shortening duration of treatment, adopting a multimodal, nonopioid model for acute pain management treatment, and establishing a system for notifying primary care providers when their patients are prescribed opiates are high on the list of recommendations just issued by the Texas Hospital Association (THA) for emergency room clinicians. While the guidelines are voluntary, they reflect a growing trend toward institutionalizing opiate prescribing practices in multiple settings around the country. They could reasonably be viewed as …

Uber Wants to Drive Your Patients to Your Office

Recognizing what’s already going on around the country, Uber is putting a name on its efforts to be the provider of choice when patients need to see a doctor but can’t get there under their own steam. The minor twist Uber Health offers is that it is designed to encourage providers to arrange transportation for their incoming patients. While that may appear to favor traditional primary care practices, urgent care operators should consider that ready …

In the Midst of a Bad Season, CDC Reverses Course on Nasal Flu Vaccine—for Next Year

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended use of the FluMist Quadrivalent nasal spray influenza vaccine in the next influenza season. Starting 2 years ago, healthcare providers have been urged to not use that vaccine because the CDC said there was a lack of efficacy in preventing influenza. However, the new ACIP recommendation comes on the heals of a U.S. study in young children that found vaccines …

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