Mental health benefits; death by surgical error; disaster preparedness – Morning Medical Update

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‘Mental health care is health care’

The White House announced a new final rule that places new requirements on health plans to increase mental health benefits so people can get more treatment. Health plans will be required to make changes when providing inadequate access to mental health and substance use care. Read the official announcement here.

Surgical error

An Alabama man who suffered abdominal pain while vacationing in Florida died when a surgeon mistakenly removed his liver instead of his spleen. The New York Post has this report.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst

September is National Preparedness Month, and government agencies are reminding physicians and everyone else to make a plan to deal with natural disasters and human-made emergencies. For those reliant on medical devices, storms, floods and fires can disrupt manufacturers, shippers, users and the doctors that prescribe them. Here are tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on medical devices in emergency situations. Because physician practices also are businesses, here are tips to avoid emergency-related scams, and ideas on disaster preparedness generally.