The Annual Costs of Smoking by State
The cost associated with smoking cigarettes doesn't end with the price of a pack. A new study looks deeper in all 50 states plus DC.
The true per-person monetary cost of smoking doesn't end with the price of a pack of cigarettes. A recent analysis by the personal finance web site Wallet Hub of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia calculated a range of potential monetary losses for individual smokers over the span of a year and of a lifetime. It turns out that smokers in Connecticut face the overall highest cost of tobacco use per person. Study metholology is available here.In the slides below offer a snapshot from the Wallet Hub report of the 5 states ranked highest and lowest per person/per year for: Total cost of smoking Financial opportunity lost Income loss Healthcare cost
3 Reasons Urology Practices Should Add Onsite UTI PCR Labs Under New LCD Rules
March 11th 20251. ONSITE PCR TESTING BRINGS SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL BENEFITS TO A PRACTICE. - ACCURACY Traditional urine cultures can give false-negative results. - SPECIFICITY Accurate microbial identification leads to targeted treatment. - SPEED Same day results vs. 3-5 days for traditional urine cultures - - - ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE MARKERS Improves antimicrobial stewardship 2. MAINTAIN INDEPENDENCE BY INCREASING REVENUE SIGNIFICANTLY THROUGH REVENUE SHIFTING FROM THE REFERENCE LAB TO THE PRACTICE. - Turnkey: Consultation on COLA and CLIA certification, all necessary equipment, standard operating procedures, personnel sourcing and interview, billing and coding training, 3-4 days of onsite training. - Stark Law Compliant: Complies with anti-kickback statutes. - Medicare part B pays at 100%, Med Advantage Plans at 80% - No lab build-out, only 8 linear feet of counter space needed - Z-code procurement for required states 3. BETTER PATIENT CARE LEADS TO BETTER OUTCOMES. - CONVENIENCE Point of care, no third-party referral lab. - TIMELY Results early in the care process. - CORRECT MEDICATION Avoids two trips to the pharmacy. - BETTER OUTCOMES Reduction of recurrent UTI and hospitalizations
