Reminder – New Medicare ABN Form Change
nbsp In case you didn t know it, effective - - a new Advance Beneficiary Notice ABN went in to effect. The new form can be found at www.cms.hhs.gove BNI.... Read More >
Correcting Employment Tax Errors – new forms issued
Starting in , there will be new procedures for correcting errors on employment tax returns. According to information posted to the IRS website at www.irs.gov businesses small article ,,id ,... Read More >
Tips to ensure that payers’ audits are fair and equitable
Payers may insist upon the right to audit providers books and records in a number of contexts and for various reasons. Also, keep in mind that payers frequently retain contracted... Read More >
Future impact of 2009 Medicare reimbursement
Using your CPT frequency report, make a spreadsheet with the following four columns a CPT Code Starting with your highest utilized CPT, working your way down b Medicare Reimbursement Allowable... Read More >
How to have access of 2009 Physician Medicare fee schedule file
Looking to download the 2009 Medicare fee schedule? Here is your link: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/ama/license.asp?file=/physicianfeesched/downloads/RVU09A.zip Read More >
Electronic Prescribing Incentive Program Update
CMS has announced that the specifications for the e-prescribing measure, which will be used to determine whether an eligible professional is a successful e-prescriber and may qualify for a percent... Read More >
HIPAA – Displaying thank you letters from patients
Many physician office display thank-you letters from patients or their families on a bulletin board or other type of display in a public area where visitors can read them. So... Read More >
Practical tips to safeguard workstations
Under HIPAA, each organization must perform its own risk assessment to determine, as the preamble says, an appropriate solution to a covered entity s workstation security issues. Start with a... Read More >
Tax tips: Gifts to employees & company parties
nbsp Tis the season to be jolly ..so know these tax rules Nontaxable gifts. Fruit baskets, hams, turkeys, wine, flowers and occasional entertainment tickets, such as to a show or... Read More >
CMS Issues Improper Payment Rates for Medicare, Medicaid & SCHIP
CMS reported earlier this month it protected roughly million of taxpayer dollars as improper payments for Medicare Fee-for-Service FFS decreased from . percent in FY to . percent, or .... Read More >
2009 Standard Mileage Rates Released
The optional standard mileage rates have been released. The mileage rates will decrease from the second half of . Beginning January , , the standard business mileage rate will be... Read More >
Watch who handles your accounts receivables
Staff who handle accounts receivable must know what they re doing. Qualified billers, for example, are worth their weight in gold. Your biller may be an employee with many years... Read More >
Customer service can reduce a physician’s liability
Our experience in working through thousand of malpractice cases, available data, and interviews with top plaintiffs attorneys reveals that communication errors and service lapses usually are what cause plaintiffs to... Read More >
S Corporation Officer’s Compensation
An IRS fact sheet discusses compensation paid to S corporation officers for services rendered, which should be treated as wages and not as distributions or loans to the officers. While... Read More >
Use your manager to assist in recruiting new physicians
Many physicians believe that only they can handle the search for recruiting a new physician, and botch the effort These failures are usually due to two shortages time and attention.... Read More >
Examine new talking points in payer contracts
Many healthcare providers are revisiting the various services they provide and looking to make non-Medicare patients a larger component of their patient mix. That, in turn, puts a premium on... Read More >
Knowing When to Use New Patient E/M Codes
By CPT definition, a new patient is one who has not received any professional services from the physician, or another physician of the same specialty who belongs to the same... Read More >
HIPAA – employer paying for employee physicals
If an employer pays for employee physicals or consultations that are performed for employment purposes, do patients employees under HIPAA have a right to access the records as they would... Read More >
DOJ Recovers $1.12 Billion in Healthcare Cases
In fiscal year , the Justice Department recovered . billion from settlements and judgments involving various healthcare organizations that allegedly defrauded the government. Nearly of the amount recovered this year... Read More >
OIG Approves Pay-Per-Lead Ads
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General OIG issued Advisory Opinion - , approving an arrangement under which an internet advertiser proposed to direct potential patients... Read More >
Safeguard cash that enters the physician practice
Your practice size dictates how complex you make your cash-control polices, but there are common sense rules that almost any office can implement. Generally accepted accounting principles call for a... Read More >
Model potential physician pay formulas before making a change
Whether acquiring another partner or your first partner, merging with another practice or responding to a peer s complaint, building a new compensation plan takes time, patience and modeling. Make... Read More >
Analyze medical office staff for workspace optimize
Look at physician office employees differently when it comes to planning space and optimizing productivity. Try categorizing staffers according to three patient-flow categories Hourly Includes support staff whose production rates... Read More >
CMS Publishes Final Anti-Markup Provisions
On October , , CMS published on its website the Physician Fee Schedule containing final anti-markup provisions. Generally, payments for diagnostic tests performed by outside suppliers subject to the anti-markup... Read More >
Learn from the past
If you have a budget from last year, review it closely. Try to find out why you missed or exceeded projections. Look into the numbers. Accurate overall totals might not... Read More >
Replace vague definitions with clear contract language
Give the definitions section of your contracts some muscle to strengthen your case should you ever have to take on a payer in a lawsuit. You might even find that... Read More >
Pushing paper? Remember the 4 F’s
File it If a piece of paper is workth saving, file it immediately. Don t toss it on your desk for later. Forward it If the paper requires action from... Read More >
Physician Compensation concepts
Your group s compensation formula may be its most jealously guarded sacred cow. Whether sensible or not, it continues in place as long as members don t object. And your... Read More >
OIG Report Criticizes CMS Oversight of HIPAA Security Compliance
The American Health Lawyer s Association www.healthlawyers.org reports that The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS needs to be more proactive in overseeing and enforcing implementation of the Health... Read More >
Forgotten idea in managed care negotiations
nbsp nbsp There is a hidden secret in managed care negotiations that many physician practices fail to utilize involving your the patients and their employer s in the process. Once... 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 >
