government

Maine data ban case to be reconsidered after Supreme Court ruling

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 11, 2011

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

An appellate court decision in Maine preventing the use of physician prescribing information for marketing purposes has been vacated in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision finding a similar Vermont law unconstitutional.

The Maine ban, upheld by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2010, allowed physicians to opt out of having their prescribing data sold to health information firms and drugmakers for marketing.

On June 23, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled a similar ban in Vermont violated constitutional freedom of speech protections. The high court now has requested the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision be vacated and sent back to the lower court for reconsideration. At this article's deadline, the appellate court had not scheduled its reconsideration of the case.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/07/11/gvbf0711.htm.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn