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 reports that The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS needs to be more proactive in overseeing and enforcing implementation of the Health Insurance... 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 >
IRS inflation & cost of living adjustments impacting you
Inflation-adjusted Amounts To keep pace with inflation, the IRS modified dozens of tax benefits for . For example, the value of each personal and dependency exemption for most taxpayers will... Read More >
30 tips for getting along with others – it’s important in the physician’s office
. Follow Dale Carnegie s advice Remember that a person s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Pay attention when someone tells... Read More >
Get Ready to Relearn the ADA
Get ready to relearn the Americans with Disabilities Act by Jan. , . New legislation signed last month has defanged a common employer defense, and the changes are going to... Read More >
HIPAA employee training – how often?
Remember that the HIPAA privacy and security rules require you to provide regular HIPAA training for all work force members. But there is no requirement that work force members receive... Read More >
Collaboration strengthens referral relationships.
Delayed treatment, dissatisfied patients, and decreased referrals too often result from failure to properly manage the referral process. In an ideal situation, three primary steps take place in coordinating referrals... Read More >
Listen to your patients
All of us, including our patients, want to be heard. We value relationships with people who really listen. And letting patients know that you see them as people goes a... Read More >
NPPES – Keeping It Safe and Keeping It Updated
This message is for health care providers, particularly physicians and other practitioners, who have obtained National Provider Identifiers NPIs and have records in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System... Read More >
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Accounting and Tax Services Litigation Support Managed Care Consulting Managed Care Contract Negotiations Medical Practice and Healthcare Entity Valuation Medical Practice Assessment Medical Practice Brokerage Medical Practice Embezzlement Consulting Medical Practice Management Medical Practice Merger Advice Medical Strategic Planning Newsletter Personal Financial Planning Oversight Physician Compensation Models Physician Compliance Physician Financial Management Services Retirement UncategorizedAbout Reed Tinsley, CPA
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 >
