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One of the main rallying cries for passage of healthcare reform legislation was to improve access to healthcare for the 47 million (or 32 million, depending on which source you happen to read) Americans who previously didn't have health insurance. Legislation that corrects this obvious shortcoming of our healthcare system is certainly welcomed. However, does this law accomplish that goal?

Some of the most conservative among us tend to be suspicious of "new" ways to invest our money. Perhaps that's why exchange-traded funds (ETFs) got off to a slow start when they were introduced back in the 1990s. But that's history now; ETFs are growing in popularity with an ever-increasing ferocity.

As surely as summer follows spring, every year, questions about the effectiveness of sunscreens flourish. This year, the Environmental Working Group, a public health watchdog organization in Washington, has raised the issue not only of sunscreens not doing the job they're supposed to, but of these products contributing to the spread and seriousness of skin cancers.

Vascular birthmarks are very ccommon in newborns, and some varieties affect up to 50 percent of babies. But the challenge for dermatologists can be the early diagnosis and the ability to distinguish the subtle differences between a banal birthmark and one that calls for quick action.

Medical applications were not part of the vision held by the earliest laser pioneers, but in 2010, which marks the 50th anniversary of the first laser, this technology represents an essential tool for many medical specialties, including dermatology.

Newer technologies including total-body photography, digital dermascopy, reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and epidermal genetic information retrieval (EGIR) show promise as tools for improving early diagnosis of melanoma, experts say.

Dr. Eczema has a very large dermatology practice and performs studies on new treatments for a variety of dermatoses. Recently, one of the pharmaceutical companies with which Dr. Eczema works contacted his research nurse to ask her to provide a copy of all of this electronic data, which she does. A former research patient finds out and has an attorney inform Dr. Eczema he will sue for a HIPAA violation unless he settles with his client for $100,000.

That state of affairs that we call "retirement" in this country is now entering what I call Phase III. In Phase I, retirement for most people meant simply that they no longer were able to work due to age or illness. The fortunate ones who accumulated enough money to support themselves comfortably when they grew too old to work were in the minority. Back then, in our largely agrarian economy, the best that many Americans could look forward to was living out old age in the homes of their children.

The recent Medicare cuts in reimbursements for most physicians go from frustrating to downright scary. Layer on top of this ramifications of the newly enacted healthcare reform, and it starts to feel like the federal government is determined to make it difficult for physicians to prosper.

Chicago - Dermatologist Marc Boddicker, M.D., is a volunteer faculty member at John Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago. But what makes that especially noteworthy is the fact that he flies his private plane once a month some 900 miles from his practice in Rapid City, S.D., to the inner city Cook County hospital.

San Francisco - The departure of Allergan’s collagen products from the market at year’s end may create a bit of havoc for some providers and patients, while for others it may simply put a new face on fillers.

Los Angeles - Research shows that people lose a little volume all over the face starting at an early age. Fillers and volumizing agents, though, can work together to target specific areas of the face showing signs of aging and volume loss.

Debating 'D' : Many studies cast little light on vitamin’s ability to boost health, derms say Script for Pollution : Topical medication residues impact environment, study indicates Special Report : Rosacea

Portland, Ore. - New research suggests that the frequency of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA, Allergan) injections can be decreased after about two years? use without loss of most cosmetic benefits, news source ScienceDaily reports.

Chicago - A Northwestern University dermatology professor may have found a way to persuade young people that tanning salons are a health risk, msnbc.com reports.

Milwaukee - Results of a small prospective study demonstrate that corticosteroid treatment of infantile hemangiomas can lead to profound, but largely reversible, immune suppression in infants, MedPage Today reports.

Barrington, Ill. - Recently released results of a National Rosacea Society (NRS) survey show that hot weather exacerbates rosacea, and that some common heat sources can affect the condition even in cold weather.

A new study on pollution from active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) has uncovered a previously unrecognized means by which drug residues are released into the environment. The study's authors say the findings could lead to new ways to control environmental pollution from APIs.

For years, people have been trying to make expensive razor blades last longer. The currently marketed razor blade cartridges are designed to last five to seven uses. However, blade life is reduced if the razor is dropped and the blade dented. Dropping the razor immediately dulls the blade, and it should be discarded.

Most of the time, when lasers are discussed in the context of hair, it is regarding the removal of hair. It was not until fairly recently that these devices received significant attention for their role in stimulating hair growth.

As reimbursement declines and overhead rises, dermatologists can't afford anything short of a perfect billing and collections process. Successful billing outcomes depend on many factors, and entrusting the entire process to someone else without appropriate oversight simply isn't smart business.

A German team is exploiting the genetic connection between actinic keratosis (AK) and the human papillomavirus (HPV) by developing an HPV-specific vaccine for Aks and invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), according to a team member who spoke at MauiDerm 2010: Advances in Cosmetic and Medical Dermatology.

Where do dermatologists find themselves falling in their assessment of the healthcare reform legislation in the U.S.? On Call found dermatologists who place themselves in each of the camps, as well as a group that wishes someone could explain what the legislation actually does.

Clinicians need to keep in mind possible differential diagnoses that mimic rosacea when they see patients who exhibit symptoms that appear to suggest the disease, according to the director of the Bikowski Skin Care Center.

The biopsy is a major revenue source for dermatology practices, emphasizing the need for correct biopsy billing practices. Dermatology practices tend to make mistakes in two key areas: basing their billing on intent, and in misrepresenting services.

The ad beckons all to use skincare products developed specifically to work with your genes. Just take the wooden stick out of the pouch, rub it vigorously inside your mouth, rinse the stick in the vial of magic liquid, seal and mail to the company. In about three weeks, you will receive in the mail a box of skincare products developed specifically for your unique genetic makeup.

Niacinamide can be an effective treatment for the inflammation related to rosacea, according to Helen M. Torok, M.D. The etiology of rosacea is unknown, although research has shown that symptoms are exacerbated by factors that trigger innate responses, such as the release of cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides.

Radiofrequency (RF) technology has come a long way since its inception in aesthetic medicine. The EndyMed Pro (EndyMed Medical) is a new RF device using 3DEEP technology that appears to set itself apart in the way it delivers RF energy. The new technology was presented at the 68th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

A recent study documenting addictive behavior in indoor tanners suggests physicians must change their tactics in addressing such individuals, say study authors and a dermatologist.

Dermatologist and Mohs surgeon Ellen Marmur, M.D., knows skin cancer. She performs about 1,000 skin cancer surgeries a year as chief of the division of dermatology and cosmetic surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York. But when a suspicious lesion showed up on her nose, she did not want to think the worst.