Happy New Year! from Doctor Pundit. Posting to resume on 1/2/09.

• Minnesota’s most populous county will end fee-for-service Medicare. Sign of the troubled economy? Docs gotta put food on the table, too.
• Medicare Part D open enrollment to end on 12/31.
• Healthcare plan beneficiaries scramble to take advantage of last minute procedures before benefit resets on 1/1. Looks like some docs will put food on the table.

At a time when the weak economy is hurting the industry, medical groups say they are grateful for the bump in business, however temporary. To cope with demand, doctors are adding hours and delaying vacations. High-deductible plans with health savings accounts were introduced in 2004 and now cover about 10 percent of insured Minnesotans. At the same time, deductibles for traditional plans — known as preferred provider organizations — also have jumped, with a $1,000 deductible now the national norm, according to benefits consultant firm Mercer.

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