October 14th 2024
New legislation, as well as changes in patient expectations, present a host of challenges and opportunities for getting paid for service this year.
August 17th 2023
In the proposed role, CMS proposed to clarify that it is permissible to bill for RPM or remote therapeutic monitoring services, but not both at the same time.
August 14th 2023
Your weekly dose of wisdom from the Physicians Practice experts.
December 28th 2021
Here’s how to make sure your practice is in compliance with Stark regulation clarifications taking effect January 1st, 2022.
December 15th 2021
Keep on eye on these areas to avoid major financial and professional consequences.
Cost Accounting in the Medical Practice via RVU
Using RVUs to conduct a cost analysis at your medical practice is not only cheap and easy, it is very effective at assessing the value of your payer contracts.
Opening a Direct-Pay Membership Medical Home
Alternatives to traditional fee-for-service practice come in all shapes and sizes. Here's one physician's unique approach.
Do Physicians in Membership Practices Work More Hours?
Membership medical practices strive to provide patients with more access to physicians. Here, one physician shares how that is affecting his personal time.
Physician-Industry Collaboration and the Sunshine Act
In a new Age of Transparency regarding physician-industry collaboration, there are ways to advance medicine and allay patient concerns over payments.
Physician Reimbursement Changes: 5 Ways to Gain Control
Five ways your medical practice can better control its payer contracts and boost reimbursement.
Insurance Exchanges and Your Practice: 5 Collection Tips
Many of the health insurance exchange plans include high deductibles, so getting these patients to pay their portion of your fee is critical.
Becoming a Medical Home Can Boost Reimbursement
If your medical practice is not already recognized as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, it may be time to jump on the bandwagon.
2014 Fee Schedule Survey Results
The results of our 2014 Fee Schedule Survey are in. Here's a look at some of the key findings, and how physician practices can react.
What Is Your Patient's True Financial Responsibility?
If your medical practice wants to get paid for services, do not accept financial responsibility for medical expenses that your patients incur.
Medical Billing and Collections Quiz
Test your patient collections knowledge with our interactive quiz, featuring claims and denial data from RemitDATA from the fourth quarter of 2014.
Three Simple Strategies for High-Deductible Patients
Patient deductibles have gone from getting patients' "skin in the game" to being "skinned alive." Their problems are physicians' problems.
Incidence of Healthcare-Acquired Conditions Increase
Winter weather often leads to an increase in hospitalizations. Make sure you document all preexisting conditions prior to hospitalization.
New Home-Care Model for Medicare Patients
CMS' home-care demo appears to cut costs, but medical practices are still waiting to share in savings.
Benefits of Home Care
MedStar's house call program reduced total Medicare costs by 17 percent over two years, demonstrating viability of Medicare's Independence at Home program.
At a Glance: Medicare's Independence at Home Demo
Can homebound Medicare patients benefit from home-based care? CMS demonstration project aims to find out.
Implementing a Physician Liaison Program
Losing referrals to the local hospital? Here's one marketing tool to retain patients and revenue.
How Payments Work in Co-Management Arrangements
Here's a primer on how co-management agreements work in healthcare, a pay-for-performance tool picking up steam among physicians.
Patient Prep Key to Being an Out-of-Network Provider
Having a solid plan in place and not panicking is key when you find yourself suddenly out of network with a popular insurance company.
Improving Your Practice's Financial Performance
Revenue cycle management can be the key to boosting the financial performance of small medical practices. Here's how.
Using RVUs to Measure Physician Performance
More physician compensation is being tied to productivity. Here's how to calculate productivity ratios at your practice using RVUs.
Calculate Your RVU Payment
Looking for a way to get a handle on Relative Value Units (RVUs) tied to Medicare payments or even use of RVUs in your own practice? Here's the formula Medicare uses to calculate payments for the services you provide.
Deepening Medicaid Crisis Threatens Physicians
Even if you don't accept Medicaid, new state laws may require you to as its cost and failed policy overwhelms budgets.
Figuring Out the Health Plan Puzzle
With payer complexities so burdensome, I can see why some physicians forgo health plans altogether.
Two Important Aspects of Negotiations for Physicians
Asking questions - especially the hard ones - benefits you as a physician and can do the same in negotiations.
Physician Retirement: Be Aware of Long-Term Care Costs
Unforeseen long-term care expenses are common in retirement and relying on Medicare, Medicaid, or self-funding may not be prudent. Here are options to consider.
Physicians' Quality Does Impact Cost
The most asked question from state legislators: Does physician quality really impact cost?
Pay for Performance Pays off in 50,000 Fewer Deaths
Rarely does the federal government hand physicians a tool that makes life a little better. That’s what OIG Opinion 12-22 does, and now data backs up the theory.
DIY Concierge Medicine Programs
If you're considering concierge medicine, do you become a DIY-er, or do you look to experts?
New CMS Rule Cracks Down on Past Medicare Offenders
A new rule by CMS to punish "bad actors" and new concern with the Independent Payment Advisory Board highlight the problem with Medicare and Medicaid.
Should Physicians Invest or Pay Off Debt First?
Physician clients often ask whether it is wiser to pay off debt or invest in the stock and bond markets. Here's what I tell them.