OIG Issues Work Plan for 2009
On October , the Office of Inspector General OIG issued its Work Plan for fiscal year . OIG cautions that there may be deviations from the Work Plan due to... Read More >
Schedule earlier mornings
Many more physicians should consider an approach that dentists increasingly find both popular and profitable. They could schedule office hours starting at a.m., seeing a number of patients before they... Read More >
Handling insurance begins at the front desk
The people running your front desk require different qualities than in the past, including greater intelligence and attention to detail. Because your front desk staff can make or break a... Read More >
Establish planning points to address the practice problems
Your practice needs to work toward shared goals and you need to have serious, somewhat formal discussions about your plans to address the economic threats to your practice. The fundamental... Read More >
Create a ‘Wow!’ experience for your patients
Providing unforgettable second-mile service for your patients will have them referring family and friends to your practice. Identify key patients in your practice needing something extra from you and your... Read More >
Your Medicare payments could be reduced if you have overdue taxes
nbsp Beginning October , , your Medicare Payments could be reduced if the Internal Revenue Service IRS needs to collect overdue taxes that you owe. The Taxpayer Relief Act of... Read More >
Rightsizing your staff improves productivity
Without the right staff numbers and skill mix, your practice s daily needs go unmet. Productivity, profitability, and patient care all suffer. Rightsizing your practice involves calculating the best number... Read More >
Are you a “better performing” physician practice?
The Medical Group Management Association www.mgma.com annually releases a report profiling the characteristics of the nation s better-performing medical groups. The better-performing groups tended to post higher overall profits, employ... Read More >
Long waits top patient complaints
Patients top complaint about physicians is the amount of time doctors make them wait for treatment, whereas physicians top complaint about patients is their failure to follow prescribed treatments, according... Read More >
Leverage Tax Breaks for Disability Insurance
In the tax world, you usually can t have your cake and eat it too. Example If physician practice employers provide disability insurance coverage to employees including physician employees on... Read More >
Interviewing is not an easy task
The closest we ever come to perfection is when we write our resumes I heard this saying yesterday and it reminded my again why all physician practices should be diligent... Read More >
Consider the optimal scheduling type for your practice
There are many types of scheduling so sometimes it is hard to know where to begin. The first places to look are to your patients, your practice, and the surrounding... Read More >
Government and Provider Enter Into First-Ever HIPAA Privacy and Security Resolution Agreement
The HHS entered into a resolution agreement with Providence Health amp Services Providence to settle potential violations of the HIPAA privacy and security rules. Pursuant to the resolution agreement, Providence... Read More >
Do HIPAA Provisions Specify Requirements That Protect Traveling Information?
Ensure HIPAA compliance while transporting patient data. Learn best practices for securing PHI on laptops and paper records when traveling between healthcare sites. Read More >
Six rules physicians need to know
Why are patients mad at doctors? Maybe, suggests medical blogger Dr. Robert Lamberts, it s because doctors aren t following the rules. Dr. Lamberts, an Augusta, Ga., physician and writer... Read More >
Evaluations are important to a well-run physician practice
Employment contracts prove relatively worthless if you don t take the time to evaluate how your staff performs under them. So set up a formal review process for all members... Read More >
Health savings accounts – a new resource available
Eligible individuals and employers can make tax deductible contributions to Health Savings Accounts HSAs that can be withdrawn tax-free to reimburse qualifying medical expenses. Balances remaining in the account at... Read More >
Keep patient information up-to-date
Many physicians have mailed registration forms to new patients in hopes that they ll fill them out before coming to the office. Now, a few have started offering online registration... Read More >
Physician Signature Requirements for Tests
A physician s signature is not required on orders for clinical diagnostic tests including X-ray, laboratory and other diagnostic tests that are paid on the basis of the clinical laboratory... Read More >
Income Tax—Employee Uniforms
Responding to a letter from U.S. Senator Bill Nelson on behalf of a constituent, the IRS concludes that the cost of clothing an employee is required to wear at work... Read More >
Tips to Maintain Security After a Termination
Security After Termination Termination procedures are a fundamental part of an information security program, no matter how small the organization. Inadequate policies have resulted in publicized breachs in healthcare. You... Read More >
Physician Beware – IRS to Ramp Up Warning Letters
By Arden Dale, The Wall Street Journal This fall, more taxpayers won t be able to say they weren t given fair warning. The Internal Revenue Service is ramping up... Read More >
Not All Physicians “Stand In The Shoes” According To Final CMS Rules
From Nossaman LLP s healthcare law e-alert After receiving public comments on its proposed rules, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS has narrowed the application of the physician... Read More >
Does HIPAA address the use of cell phones & PHI?
From HIPAA Weekly Advisor, the free, weekly e-mail newsletter brought to you by HcPro s premium monthly newsletter Briefings on HIPAA BOH Q Does HIPAA address the use of cell... Read More >
Outsourcing payroll – medical practice beware
According to Headliner Volume posted to the IRS website at www.irs.gov businesses small article ,,id , .html , outsourcing payroll duties can be a sound business practice. However, the employer... Read More >
Reduce waiting time to boost patient satisfaction
According to the American Medical Association, patients spend an average of minutes waiting for their appointments. For a lot of physician practices like my own internist , the wait is... Read More >
Adopt a sabbatical leave policy for your group’s physicians
With all the talk about beleaguered physicians experiencing low morale today, now s a good time to consider adopting a sabbatical leave policy for your group s physicians. For years,... Read More >
Identifying patient in limited benefit plans
Limited benefit plans often feature deductibles and benefit caps. Unlike deductibles, which are predictable and finite, these policies have benefit limits that can crop up at any time. It s... Read More >
IRS Expands EPCRS Program
IR- - summarizes Rev. Proc. - which expands and enhances the scope of the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System EPCRS . Qualified plan sponsors, as well as sponsors of SEP,... Read More >
10 things that can get a physician sued
My recently received newsletter from the Texas Medical Group Management Association has a lengthy article on the subject of those things that can get a physician sued for malpractice. It... Read More >
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As a top advisor to physicians, I help increase practice profits by delivering hands-on, expert medical accounting/tax support, practice counsel, and revenue-building strategies. Read More >
