Finance

Many physicians have discovered that blogging is a great way to build community with others in healthcare, share their opinions and successes, and vent.

You may be afraid of audits, but if you aren't auditing your own billing procedures, you're probably losing a fortune. Here's how.

Changes with ICD-9 and CPT codes have been commonplace for several years and will almost assuredly continue, even with the adoption of ICD-10 in 2013. We must adapt to the change by updating our practice management systems to include the changes to ICD-9, CPT, and new rules by CMS and insurance payers.

Healthcare IT is in a state of flux and change, with constant improvement and upgrades. With established companies rolling out new versions of their systems, alongside new entrants who are bringing new systems to market, the features and horsepower of HIT systems has never been greater.

What yardstick should you use to measure your practice against those of your colleagues?

The latest study results from the AMA when it comes to payers and their power in local markets may not be good news to all.

Inflation can be both good and bad for a practice. Therefore, understanding the nature of inflation can save your practice money.

In one sentence, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson caused a nationwide tidal wave of reaction across the healthcare industry: "Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire [Affordable Care] Act must be declared void."

Times are tight for small and large practices alike. But there are ways to supplement your income without selling out. Here are 10 ways you can leverage your skills to boost your income.

Good tech support staff is crucial to achieving successful EHR implementation and other priorities like interoperability. Here’s how to find the health IT support you need.

As many third-party payers tighten their belts even further with restraints for prescription drug coverage, radiology services, specialty referrals, etc., we physicians are left at the end of the day spending even more time with filling out more forms, seeing less patients, and seeing our total costs increase even more as our overall efficiency decreases.

Opting for an in-house pharmacy or office dispensing can enable your practice to maintain higher profit margins, but before you jump onboard examine all the costs first.

With a new year comes a new set of initiatives taking effect under the Affordable Care Act and we move another year closer towards other undefined initiatives. But if there is one current theme among the majority of reform initiatives it is teamwork to improve care, a goal that may be as challenging as making reform a reality.

The Affordable Care Act added a new Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. Contrary to patient and physician expectations, it is not a physical exam.

Is private-office healthcare in its death throes? Was the just-passed health reform legislation the final thrust to push out independent physicians? Find out what editorial director Bob Keaveney has to say.

Why spend hours on the phone with payers when you can check online in minutes?

The old order is fading and a new order is starting to take its place. That new environment will reshape medical practice in ways that can be only glimpsed at present. But here are a few predictions for 2011.

The toughest payers to collect from are your own patients. Don't despair, there are things you can do to get paid.

The future of the direct-pay practice model is bright. Here's how it works, the affect on patients, and where it fits with models promoted by healthcare reform.

Insurance companies are unlikely to have much more impact on spending growth than they’ve had for the past few decades. The real question about insurers’ role in health care is why they’ll be needed if providers can form organizations that are accountable for the cost and quality of care.

Today's practice managers must plan proactively for the new year - finding new ways to cut costs and improve efficiencies.

When patients demur over paying for care, don't be a soft touch - there are things you can do to collect

Consultant Greg Mertz feels there is a robust future for private practice, even though practice models will have to change.

A staggering 40 percent of physicians say they plan to leave patient care within the next three years, according to a recent poll by the Physicians Foundation. That spells big trouble for healthcare reform and for medicine in general. If even half of that number of doctors retire, find administrative positions, or leave healthcare entirely, we’re going to have medical assistants taking care of patients and the remaining doctors tearing out their hair in frustration.

Medical coding guidance on prevention planning; the ICD-10 transition; ABN advice; and more.

While the ACO concept gained momentum as a result of the healthcare reform legislation, the idea is nothing new. The Clinton health initiative included similar networks of providers, Accountable Health Partnerships, a proposal that went nowhere. So why should we worry about the current ACO model?

Hospitals need not control ACOs. There are clinically integrated IPAs and PHOs that could easily become ACOs, and 50 to 75 other physician-led organizations are on the same path. Among these entities is the Beacon IPA of Manhasset, NY. Formed last summer, the IPA already has about 200 physician members, and the IPA’s long-term goal is to become clinically integrated and ready for whatever healthcare reform brings, including ACOs.

At the American Medical Association's recent policy-making meeting in San Diego, the association weighed in on the structure of accountable care organizations (ACOs) and professionalism when utilizing social media.

The cost of staffing can consume as much as 30 percent of operating expenses for a medical practice. However, don't be tempted to cut staff. Instead, invest in your staff so you get and keep highly motivated, productive people on your team.

The AMA’s new policy on accountable care organizations (ACO) will undoubtedly please many physicians, but it doesn’t recognize the reality of the market or of healthcare reform. Once again, it shows how unprepared the leaders of medicine - and many of their followers - are for the massive changes that lie just ahead.