Today medical transcription has evolved into a full grown industry in its own right. Several countries such as India provide offshore medical transcription services of very high quality at affordable rates.

Why is it necessary?

In the medical industry all doctors require that the doctor patient conversations be recorded and filed for future references. This is required for documentation needs as well as for placing into the patient’s file. Therefore, there has been a large scale surge in demand for medical transcription services in order to translate the oral reports of doctors in various fields to place them into digitized documents.

Major outsourcing initiative

Medical transcription has begun to be outsourced in a large way. This is because the timelines are often stringent and budgets are often scarce. This is why outsourcing medical transcription services is a good idea for many organizations related to the medical field. Instead of a partial devotion to the job which would have been done by a secretary, an outsourcing firm will dedicate its complete attention and time. Hence the timeframe within which the job gets accomplished is much faster. Besides, most of the medical transcription providers have obtained a qualified degree and hands-on training in the job. Therefore, these personnel are in a much better position to do the job.

How is it done?

Typically medical transcription services are performed by trained specialists. Basically, the doctor or medical company will send the audio file to the medical transcription company. This file then needs to be typed out while ensuring 100% accuracy. Every word needs to be exactly as per the audio file as this digitized document will serve future reference purposes for doctors. While it is mostly the Asian companies who are the target for such services, today even companies in US have started providing these services to doctors.

Popular perceptions about health insurance are often wrong. Here are some of the more misunderstood concerns that individuals have when it comes to obtaining health care coverage.

Myth#1: Since my employer provides me with health insurance, I’m OK.

Truth: While an employer based group health plan is still the most common type of health coverage, there has been a reduction in the number of employers who provide them. A growing number of employees are loosing their employer provided health care. Many employers are finding it difficult to continue to pay the rising premium cost and no longer offer healthcare benefits. Another drawback, an employer group policy will only cover an employee while they are employed there. Should they loose or leave their job, the employee would be vulnerable, especially if he/she had health problems or pre existing conditions. Individual health plans are portable so the employee can keep their coverage should they decide to change jobs or retire.

Myth#2: I’m healthy so I’ll worry about health insurance when I get older or become sick.

Truth: It is usually more cost-effective to buy a healthcare plan when you are younger and especially if you are healthy. The cost of buying coverage tends to increase as you age. And buying coverage when you are young and healthy means you will already have the coverage if you develop a health condition later in life that could make you uninsurable. You purchase a healthcare plan to protect against unforeseen risk. Health care insurance is really no different than auto insurance… you can not get coverage after you have had an accident so why should your health plan be any different. If you can possibly afford the insurance, then there is no excuse for not having it.

Myth#3: It is easy for individuals and small businesses to purchase healthcare insurance.

Truth: Not really. Because the risk pool is smaller than employer group plans, the rates are generally higher for these markets. This leaves the most vulnerable individuals - those with pre existing conditions - either unable to find insurance, or when they do find it, the premiums will be more than they can afford. At the same time, small businesses are seeing their premiums rise each year, often times to a point they can no longer afford to pay.

Myth#4: The uninsured are usually able to get health care even without health insurance.

Truth: Unfortunately, access to affordable health care services is greatly diminished for individuals lacking a health plan. The uninsured are more likely to delay healthcare, live with illness longer and when they do seek help, it is usually at the most expensive setting, such as the emergency room. Out-of-pocket expenses in this manner are far from cost-effective. Ensuring affordable health care coverage will allow individuals to seek preventative care at appropriate times and hopefully stem the tide of mounting medical expenses.

Myth#5: Most uninsured individuals are uninsured by choice.

Truth: Not so. Cost, premium increases, and affordability are listed as the major reasons for not having health coverage. Additionally, others cited a loss of employment as a reason. Only about 10% give no real reason for not having a health plan. This would imply that most individuals do want health insurance but simply cannot afford it

Akeso Care Management(SM), Inc. (ACM(SM)) announced today that it has been awarded Health Utilization Management accreditation by URAC, a leading health care accrediting organization. ACM provides medical management services to domestic and international insurance carriers, self-insured employers and third party administrators. These services include utilization review, large case management, emergency medical evacuations, discharge planning and medical bill review, all designed to provide appropriate, cost-effective patient care.

Carolyn Tinsley, Chief Operating Officer of ACM, states, “We are very pleased to receive the Health Utilization Management accreditation from URAC. It is truly a reflection of the quality work that we provide to our customers and assures them that we meet leading national standards in the industry.”

URAC is a leader in the accreditation of health and managed care organizations. Founded in 1990, URAC currently offers 16 accreditation programs that span a broad spectrum of health care services. URAC has issued over 2,300 accreditation certificates to more than 500 health care programs. URAC-accredited organizations do business in all 50 states and provide services to more than 150 million lives.

Garry Carneal, URAC President and CEO, said, “By applying for and receiving URAC accreditation, Akeso Care Management has demonstrated a commitment to quality health care. Quality health care is crucial to our nation’s welfare and it is important to have organizations that are willing to measure themselves against national standards.”

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, ACM is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Medical Group(R), Inc. (IMG(R)), a worldwide leader in designing, distributing and administering global healthcare benefits.

Mitchell Medical, the premier provider of casualty claims solutions for the auto insurance industry, today announced the release of Decision Point 6.0, with numerous enhancements including an easy user-configurable action and workflow rules engine.

The industry-leading Decision Point suite of medical bill review, utilization review and management reporting software is used by many of the nation’s largest automobile insurance carriers to control their first- and third-party medical claims costs. Decision Point’s ability to run both as an Internet-based application hosted by Mitchell or over a company’s Intranet gives claims management greater flexibility in designing and managing its internal workflow. It also allows medical bill processing to be centralized or decentralized depending on the needs of the claim organization.

And now, Decision Point 6.0 includes Sentry, the easiest-to-use client configurable rules engine on the market and the only one that puts the power of writing rules at the client’s fingertips.

“Decision Point 6.0 creates true exception-based processing and handling,” said Tom McCarthy, senior vice president and founder of Mitchell Medical. “The Sentry rules engine allows for consistent and accurate reviews based on the policies and procedures of the organization. And it is so intuitive to use that it eliminates the reliance on more experienced programmers. Decision Point 6.0 improves an organization’s operational efficiency.”

Additionally, Decision Point 6.0 ensures that the appropriate amount is paid on bills based on client-specific rules. Using the new version, insurers can set their own rules, including automatically paying for selected procedures if under a specified fee. And when those user rules are exceeded, cases can be automatically routed to the proper person for review.

Decision Point 6.0 further improves operational efficiency by allowing users to enter hospital bills, along with provider bills, into the system. This permits all automobile medical bills to be processed in one application. Mitchell Medical also added Diagnostic Related Grouping (DRG) software to the Decision Point claims management system for New York and Pennsylvania users. This allows for consistent grouping of related procedures for hospital inpatient bill repricing.

“These new enhancements will continue to keep Decision Point the leading suite of products for automobile insurers seeking to improve the processing and contain the costs of medical claims,” McCarthy said.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. & DALLAS — Medical Protective, Texas’ leading admitted primary medical professional liability insurer, announced today its intention to reduce rates further, and to continue its expansion of insurance offerings to Texas healthcare providers. These actions reflect the Company’s recent review of internal company data (suggesting that 2003 tort reform measures continue to have a positive impact) and recent acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway (providing additional capital and resources for profitable growth).

To reflect the positive indications in recent loss data, Medical Protective will reduce rates in many specialties (effective January 1, 2006), with an overall impact expected to be a 5% reduction for Texas physicians. Medical Protective also plans to accept new business applications in over 30 additional specialties.

“We have consistently committed to our Texas policyholders — as well as legislators and regulators — that we would closely monitor the impact of tort reforms, and are pleased to say that the emerging data continues to suggest a moderating trend in loss costs. We are thus in a position again to reduce our Texas rates,” said Timothy Kenesey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Medical Protective. “We are also pleased to announce that our recent acquisition by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway provides us with the capital necessary to drive profitable growth by expanding our underwriting appetite to additional practice specialties that meet our underwriting criteria.”

Despite moderating loss trends, Kenesey reminded Texas physicians that challenges remain and Medical Protective is ready to help meet those challenges: “While we are encouraged by the reduction in frivolous suits and ‘lottery jury awards’, attacks on Texas doctors continue. It has never been more important for Texas doctors to insist on an insurance company with (i) extremely strong financial ratings; (ii) an impeccable, winning defense; and (iii) a clear commitment to never ask doctors for capital contributions or special assessments. We have seen many ‘optimistic competitors’ come and go in recent years because their rates did not realistically reflect the actual exposure. In stark contrast, Medical Protective is built to last and willing to back it up with AAA ratings … Texas doctors deserve nothing less than the best.”

Medical Protective has been protecting assets and reputations since 1899, and today, more healthcare providers count on Medical Protective than any other medical malpractice provider. “Our more than 10,000 Texas policyholders — and over 75,000 nationwide — choose us for three reasons: our industry-leading financial ratings and strength; our industry-leading winning defense that fights for doctors accused of malpractice and pays fairly when liability is clear; and our industry-leading risk management solutions dedicated to reducing risk and increasing patient safety,” added Steve Simmons, Medical Protective’s Vice President of Southwest Sales. “Unlike many carriers that have come and gone in the Texas market, Medical Protective has maintained the underwriting discipline and financial strength to meet our commitments today and for the years to come.”

About Medical Protective

With more than $700 million in annual premium and $2 billion in statutory assets, Medical Protective is a national leader in primary medical professional liability coverage and risk solutions to physicians, dentists, professional corporations and small hospitals. As the nation’s first provider of medical professional liability insurance and the only “AAA,” Medical Protective has been protecting the assets and reputations of healthcare providers for over 100 years. Its offerings include professional liability insurance on both claims-made and occurrence forms, risk management consulting and education, premium finance solutions, insurance support services, and — through affiliates and partners — additional financial products and services for its healthcare providers. Medical professional liability insurance products are underwritten by The Medical Protective Company and National Fire & Marine Company (both rated with Standard & Poor’s highest rating of AAA, Extremely Strong), and are distributed through a nationwide network of employee market managers and appointed agents. Medical Protective is a member of the Berkshire Hathaway group of businesses.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. & DALLAS — The Medical Protective Company, a member of the GE Insurance Solutions group of companies, today announced from its Dallas regional headquarters its intention to reduce rates and expand insurance offerings in Texas. This action reflects the Company’s recent internal company data updates, which suggest that 2003 tort reform measures are beginning to take hold.

Medical Protective sees positive indications in its recent loss data. As a result, it will reduce rates in many specialties, with an overall impact expected to be a 2% reduction for Texas physicians. Medical Protective also plans to accept new business applications in over 30 additional specialties.

Medical Protective President & Chief Executive Officer Tim Kenesey commented: “Of the several tort reform measures passed in various states over the last 24 months, we firmly believe that the Texas reforms will be the most effective — in large part due to the greater constitutional certainty provided by Prop 12. We have consistently maintained our position that such reforms would, over time, stabilize the Texas market by moderating previously out-of-control loss costs and by increasing the level of insurance capital committed to the Texas market. While still very early in what is a multi-year evaluation of the effects of tort reform, Medical Protective is optimistic that early data indicates loss trends have begun to stabilize. In view of that, we have decided to implement a responsible rate decrease and to increase offerings available to Texas healthcare providers.”

The president of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) commented on Medical Protective’s announcement. “Medical Protective’s actions are further proof that tort reform is working in Texas,” said TMA President Bohn Allen, MD. “We expect the marketplace will continue to improve for Texas physicians.”

Kenesey welcomed the positive remarks from the TMA leader: “Since 1916, while many medmal companies have come and gone, with some leaving policyholders unprotected, and, most tragically, legitimately injured patients uncompensated, Medical Protective has been the one constant. We have survived over three times as long as our nearest Texas competitor by (i) maintaining our industry-leading financial ratings, (ii) maintaining our industry-leading defense while paying every legitimate obligation to injured patients, and (iii) maintaining our industry-leading risk mitigation education. As the second largest provider of primary medical professional liability coverage in Texas, and only large provider with AM Best ‘Excellent, Stable Outlook’ and S&P ‘A, Stable Outlook’ ratings, Medical Protective is proud to serve our 11,000 loyal Texas healthcare provider policyholders. And today, we look forward to expanding our offerings to those Texas providers who value the best financial strength, defense and longevity.”

About Medical Protective

Medical Protective Company has been protecting the assets and reputations of healthcare providers since 1899. Serving as a leading medical professional liability provider in Texas since 1916, Medical Protective today is the national leader in primary medical professional liability coverage and risk solutions, serving 11,000 policyholders in Texas and 75,000 nationwide. For more than a century, Medical Protective has remained focused on long-term financial stability so that its policyholders never have to worry whether Medical Protective will “be there down the road” to pay losses. With financial ratings of “A, Stable Outlook” from Standard & Poor’s and “A- Excellent, Stable Outlook” from AM Best, Medical Protective remains one of the handful of high-rated primary medical professional liability carriers.

International SOS, the world’s leading medical and security assistance company, has announced that its SOS Global Traveler evacuation and emergency medical services program for individual travelers can now be purchased at the web site of online travel insurance aggregator InsureMyTrip.com.

While International SOS is best recognized for its role in supporting the global travel health and security needs of over 75% of Fortune 500 companies, it also has a widespread and loyal following amongst personal travelers. SOS Global Traveler members receive the same high level of medical assistance and evacuation services as corporate SOS members, whether traveling or living abroad on vacation, for study or on business.

“We’re seeing travelers looking for more protection, for both their health and personal safety,” said Jim Williams, Chief Operating Officer for International SOS at its North American headquarters in Philadelphia. “Having SOS membership available online through InsureMyTrip.com extends our distribution through the Internet. This fits well with the way we provide SOS members with online travel health and safety reports and email alerts.”

“Clearly, since 9-11 and the terrorism factor and now with SARS, people need to be aware and prepared for the real risks around the world. That’s why SOS is such a unique company - we combine real-world help with real-time information and medical assistance with travel security assistance,” said Williams.

“We are extremely pleased to have International SOS join the range of travel protection products available at InsureMyTrip,” commented Peter Evans, Executive Vice President of InsureMyTrip. ” SOS is clearly a recognized leader in worldwide medical and security assistance due to its on-the-ground presence around the world. In these uncertain and unsafe times, SOS provides both peace of mind and safety while traveling abroad.”

About SOS Global Traveler

In addition to emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage of up to $1 million, International SOS Global Traveler Medical Membership helps members mitigate unexpected expenses that may occur as a result of medical problems abroad. This includes up to $2,500 in hotel expenses incurred while visiting an SOS member hospitalized abroad and up to $2,500 in air travel if the SOS member needs to return home after a medical evacuation. Annual membership is $225 for travelers and $380 for expatriates. Single trip membership can be purchased for just $55 for 10 days.

SOS Global Traveler members can also have their medical and personal information stored on a password-protected Website, to be accessed in case of emergency. With this confidential program, travelers can create their own individual profile including medications, allergies and primary and specialist physician contact details, uploading digital documents such as a passport, dental records or a living will. In an emergency, SOS would use the information in the record to assist with a medical diagnosis or help local authorities.

International SOS Global Traveler Comprehensive Membership includes all of the benefits of the SOS Global Traveler Medical Membership plus travel safety components, including access to SOS security specialists, changes to travel reservations and coordination of services including assessment of threat to the member.

The Global Traveler Comprehensive membership also offers travel safety reports and email safety alerts, to ensure that members have - in advance of their trip - the most informed and up-to-date intelligence about risk and safety issues at their destination. Pricing for the SOS Global Traveler Comprehensive Membership ranges from $70 for an individual for a 10-day trip to $295 for an annual membership. As with the Global Traveler Medical Membership, plans are offered for couples, families and expatriates.

About International SOS

International SOS is the world’s largest medical and security assistance company, as well as the leading provider of remote medical services. It has a full time staff of over 3,000 professionals including 250 physicians operating in 26 Alarm Centers and 21 International Clinics around the world, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. SOS clients include the majority of Fortune 500 companies as well as leading insurance companies, credit card programs, specialty travel programs, aviation companies, universities, government agencies and NGO’s.

About InsureMyTrip.com

IMT Services Corp. (InsureMyTrip.com) is a privately held company located in Commack, NY. InsureMyTrip is the leading consumer oriented, online travel insurance aggregator worldwide. IMT currently offers 34 insurance plans from the top 12 insurance providers in the industry. The company also specializes in providing integrated technology solutions for the travel insurance industry, with over 700 private-label and co-branded travel related websites around the globe. IMT has been providing travel insurance technology since 1995.

Rx Processing Corporation (OTC: RXPC), a leading source of low-cost prescription medications for millions of Americans who are under-insured or have no prescription insurance coverage, announces our online store is opened and operational.

Rx Processing Corp. steps up the pricing competition in the prescription medication market with the integration of our online store at www.rxprocessingcorp.com. Our store opened to process government-approved international prescription orders and the phased integration of the FDA-approved domestic prescription supply chain. This is a major step towards the opening of an equitable international prescription market for the U.S. baby-boomer population. The population and their children are able to competitively price prescription medications from international pharmacies online, benefits with chain and independent U.S. pharmacies for themselves and family.

Our company is a beacon of hope for the millions of under or uninsured United States citizens, and we have proven after two years, we are more committed today than ever. United States citizens are now in the position to alleviate the high prices of prescription drugs they have become dependant upon for a quality lifestyle.

Peter Fiorillo commented, “The credit for the online ordering system, the bridging of the International and Domestic supply chains with Lab Testing, I recognize our outstanding team of Officers and Directors. This company is gaining momentum and moving quickly to excite investors with some surprise announcements in the near future.”

About Rx Processing

Rx Processing is positioned to become a market leader in providing prescription drugs, lab tests and drug tests to U.S. citizens, corporations, unions, and members, through FDA-approved patient service centers, for their lab testing and licensed pharmacies in the United States and Canada. The company provides access to approved brand-name and generic medications, as well as over 1,000 lab tests through storefront locations with access to 4,000 FDA-approved patient service centers for their lab testing. Rx Processing estimates that more than 40 million Americans could benefit from the company’s low-cost prescription drugs, lab testing and drug screening.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are “forward-looking statements.” The forward-looking statements, including statements about the company’s future expectations, including future revenues and earnings, and all other forward-looking statements (i.e., future operational results and sales) are subject to assumptions and beliefs based on current information known to the company and factors that are subject to uncertainties, risk and other influences, which are outside the company’s control, and may yield results differing materially from those anticipated.

Experts may continue to debate the merits of medical savings accounts, but there is one thing everyone can agree on: They’re not catching on very fast.

As part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Congress passed a 4-year demonstration program allowing up to 750,000 Americans working in small businesses to purchase medical savings accounts, or MSAs. So far, only 54,000 have done so, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

Observers offer several reasons for MSAs’ slow start. One possibility is that MSAs are too different from other high-deductible insurance products that are now on the market, said Tom Wildsmith, an actuary at the Health Insurance Association of America in Washington.

For example, individual policies typically have a $1,000/person deductible; if more than one person in a family gets sick in a year, the total deductible will be capped at $2,000 or $3,000. But with an MSA, the family faces a $3,000 deductible even if only one person gets sick, Mr. Wildsmith said.

In general, MSAs allow patients to put several thousand dollars into a tax-free account to be used solely for medical expenses. MSAs are typically paired with high-deductible insurance policies that kick in after the MSA dollars–and any remaining out-of-pocket costs–are exhausted. If any money is left over in the MSA account, patients can use it for other expenses–although they will pay a penalty for withdrawals if they are under 65.

Another problem with MSAs is that they are tax driven, which is common in life insurance policies but not health insurance policies, Mr. Wildsmith noted. “Most health insurance agents aren’t accustomed to talking to their clients about tax planning.”

Robert Laszewski, a Washington health care consultant, said that he thinks patients are turned off by MSAs’ complexity. “They have to keep track of things like whether they should make a claim to the MSA or to the catastrophic insurance policy,” he said.

And the policies aren’t very popular with insurance agents, for good reason, Mr. Laszewski continued. Unlike individual health insurance policies, MSAs are divided into two parts–the savings account and the catastrophic insurance policy–and only the catastrophic policy funds are counted toward the agents’ commissions.

“What did you just do to their commission? You’ve cut it in half,” he said.

Kelly Loussedes, a spokeswoman for the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, an insurer group that supports MSAs, said she blames the slow start-up partly on the way the demonstration project was set up.

“Only three groups of people can have an MSA: [employees of] companies with 50 or fewer employees, those who are self-employed, and those who were reviously uninsured,” Ms. Loussedes explained.

“Once MSAs are opened up [to the whole population], they’ll really expand,” she predicted.

Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, a Washington-based consumer group, said that, although he opposes MSAs, he’s surprised they aren’t selling faster. “I would have thought that healthy and wealthy people would find them beneficial.”

In fact, Mr. Pollack and other MSA opponents argue that healthy patients are the only ones who sign up for the accounts, leaving the sicker patients in fully insured plans and causing premiums in those plans to increase.

But Ms. Loussedes noted that more than one-third of those signing up for MSAs were previously uninsured. This lends credence to the notion that the accounts were not being used just by wealthy patients.

“The experience speaks for itself,” she commented.

Most physician organizations, with the exception of the American Academy of Pediatrics, continue to support MSAs. They say that the accounts make consumers more cost conscious and force physicians to become more price competitive.

“We need multiple insurance products to be available in multiple markets,” commented Dr. William Mahood, a trustee of the American Medical Association. “MSAs won’t be attractive to everyone, but we’re not a one-size-fits-all society.”

Bob Doherty, head of the Washington office of the American College of Physicians–American Society of Internal Medicine, said that his organization is taking a cautious approach to MSAs.

“They’re not likely to be a panacea [for the uninsured], but they also aren’t a bomb that will blow up the health insurance system,” Mr. Doherty said. “There needs to be a careful evaluation of what impact they will have.”

And Republican members of Congress appear to be satisfied enough with the results of the MSA experiment that they have put a measure opening up MSAs to all comers into the Patients’ Bill of Rights legislation now being debated on Capitol Hill. President Bill Clinton has indicated, however, that he probably will veto any Patients’ Bill of Rights that includes an MSA expansion provision.

But Mr. Laszewski said that Democrats fears of MSAs wrecking the insurance market are groundless, given how unpopular they have proved to be.

Illinois’ largest medical malpractice insurer announced Wednesday it would reduce its physician policy holders’ average premiums by 5.2 percent for the upcoming policy year.

ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company officials credited recent litigation reforms for “modest” reductions in claims frequency and a relatively flat number of claims.

ISMIE Mutual’s chairman Dr. Harold Jensen was cautiously optimistic. Jensen said even though the results appear promising, other medical liability insurers are not yet flocking to Illinois because they are waiting to see if the reforms will survive if they are challenged by anti-reform groups.

- Neurosurgeons in Cook and Will counties who also are policyholders with $1 million to $3 million coverage limits will pay a premium of $228,484.

- Pediatricians and OB/GYNs in Cook and Will counties will have premiums of $25,088 and $138,484, respectively, said the ISMIE.