Legal Compliance

A bill proposed in Congress would significantly revise the current IOAS exception.

Learn what you need to focus on now to adequately prepare for the ICD-10 transition.

Treating family members may seem like an easy and convenient option, but it can lead to big problems. Here's why.

Think carving out Medicare and Medicaid patients from your business arrangements makes you safe from federal fraud and abuse laws? Think again.

If you are an independently minded physician, take heart. There is a way to work with new quality standards and still retain your autonomy.

Physician practices must constantly review existing restrictive covenant provisions to ensure they are compliant with state law.

Physicians considering changing their status as enrolled and participating Medicare providers must be aware of their options and legal requirements.

Medicare and Medicaid providers must return overpayments once identified. Here are two different refund approaches for practices to consider when necessary.

Medical practices must screen prospective providers to identify those excluded from federal healthcare programs.

Recent high-profile lawsuits involving bloodborne pathogen exposures highlight the risk of complacency and the need for industry responsibility.

Recent OIG alert includes a warning to physicians involved in physician-owned distributorships and important considerations for those considering involvement.

Noteworthy items from Physicians Practice.

The government is now coming after small practices that violate HIPAA. Here are ten do's and don'ts to help you up your game.

The HIPAA final rule, released Jan. 17, 2013, includes new guidance regarding the transfer of medical records.

Share what you do in this type of situation and why. Your response might help another physician deal with this issue.

Some of the key items outlined in the Physician Payment Sunshine Act final rule and how physicians can prepare for enforcement.

Providers across the country are questioning what should be done if they believe a patient poses a threat to others. Here’s some guidance.

With 10,000 new 65-year-old patients each day, it's important that physicians act now to keep them healthy by improving preventative care.

Hone your skills to create positive relationships with your patients and improve care quality.

Successfully communicating with noncompliant patients is one of the most difficult tasks physicians face. Strategic communication can help. Here are some tips.

The key to better patient compliance can be found in one simple question, I've found: "So why are you here?"

Pediatrician Helene Hubbard lays out her first term if elected U.S. president with a focus on the nation's younger residents.

If technology helps physicians keep patients healthy, why aren't more using it? The answer may be that payers, including CMS, aren't supporting it.

Balance - whether between your shoulder elevators and scapular stabilizers or personal and professional obligations as a physician takes constant work.

Referrals to home health agencies are on the rise, as are allegations of kickbacks for said referrals. Here's how to work with HHAs within legal boundaries.

The government has new tools for identifying excessive use of suspect medical codes, so you must vigilantly keep abreast of what those codes are to avoid trouble.

Getting patients to follow your guidance is a lot easier with today's technology. Here's a rundown on the tools that work, and how to work 'em.

Here are seven simple things you can do to reduce no-show patients at your medical practice starting today.

Here's how Stage 2 of CMS' EHR Incentive Programs differ from the rules for Stage 1 to achieve meaningful use.

Here are some charts to help you plot out the stages of meaningful use at your practice and payments for both the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.