Regional differences in reimbursement rates from Medicare, Medicaid, and FAIR Health across common procedures for neurological surgeons.

Objective: FAIR Health-a nonprofit, state-funded database-was created as an independent repository of healthcare claims paid data to address allegations of price fixing. Many insurers have forced physicians to negotiate payments based on Medicare rates, rather than utilizing FAIR Health. The authors' objective was to provide an overview of regional differences in reimbursement rates per several sample neurosurgical Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and to compare Medicare, Medicaid, and usual, customary, and reasonable rates via FAIR Health rate estimates.

"One of the Grand Works of the World": Walt Whitman's Advocacy for the Brooklyn Waterworks, 1856-59.

When the Brooklyn Waterworks opened in 1859, it was one of America's most advanced water and sewer systems. Yet after Brooklyn was annexed by New York City, the waterworks' history slipped into obscurity, despite having a now-famous champion: the "poet of America," Walt Whitman, whose brother worked on the project. This article shows the Brooklyn poet's fierce, multiyear lobbying effort for the waterworks in various newspapers and introduces a wealth of newly recovered Whitman writings on the issue.

Utilization of Locum Tenens in Neurosurgery.

Introduction: Despite its rising popularity, little has been described about locum tenens employment (locums) in neurosurgery. This study provides the first nationwide overview of the locums neurosurgery experience.

Methods: An anonymous online survey examined practice characteristics of respondents, extent of and satisfaction with locums, motivations for pursuing locums, case volumes, agencies used, compensation, and positive/negative aspects of experiences.