HIPAA: Physician Practice and a Hospice
Q Is it necessary for a physician practice and a hospice organization to have a business associates BA agreement? It seems that a BA agreement would be unnecessary, because both... Read More >
Consider treating each new employment agreement individually
When you finally land the right physician after months of searching, don t fall into the trap of using the same employment agreement your attorney drafted three physicians ago. As... Read More >
Offer generous salaries to retain physician-employees
Promoting only those physicians with the needed ownership and entrepreneurial skills solves the problem of having unsatisfactory co-owners. Yet it creates another problem If clinically qualified young doctors are denied... Read More >
2007 Medical Group Compensation & Financial Survey Released
The MGMA surveys are very popular among practice administrators, physicians, CPAs, and consultants but don t forget the AMGA compensation and financial survey Here is a summary of the publication... Read More >
Ways to control the rising cost of health insurance premiums
As health insurance premiums continue to rise, the following are the most common strategies medical practices use to control these costs . Look for lower premiums by switching health insurance... Read More >
Website offers advice on medical software selection
As we all know, selecting medical software can be difficult. There are literally hundreds of billing, practice management and EMR systems out there. With little time for research, doctors and... Read More >
Review your cash control policies
Your practice size will dictate how complex you can make your cash control policies. The most common internal control calls for a division of duties to prevent any individual employee... Read More >
NPI notification letter no longer needed for Medicare enrollment
When the Centers for Medicare amp Medicaid Services CMS revised the Medicare enrollment application CMS- in May , the agency required all providers completing the form to include a copy... Read More >
Choose office colors that make patients comfortable
Even physicians need to think about customer service. How a patient perceives your office and the impression it makes is a big customer service item. So make sure your practice... Read More >
Draft an effective denied-claim appeal letter
When drafting an appeal letter for a denied claim, start with an introductory section that stresses your practice s qualifications and your commitment to compliance and providing appropriate services. Then,... Read More >
Hidden impact within 2008 Medicare rates
Frank Cohen www.cpahealth.com has again reminded us of a few very few important points Congress approved the stay of execution for the . reduction in the Medicare allowable and replaced... Read More >
Meeting Rules
We all know meetings are a curse. Here are some rules by law firm consultant David Maister that hopefully will make your meetings more productive. Do not call meetings when... Read More >
Congress Expands FMLA Leave for Military Duty and Injuries
Congress passed legislation last week which, if signed by President Bush as expected, will amend the Family and Medical Leave Act FMLA for the first time since its passage in... Read More >
IRS Announces Procedure for Whistleblowers to Report Tax Law Violations
From the American Health Lawyers Association www.healthlawyers.org Section b of the Internal Revenue Code provides for an award of up to - of taxes, penalties, and interest recovered for whistleblowers... Read More >
Medicare Reimbursement Reprieve and REALITY
Medical practices are breathing a sigh of relief over Congressional action to postpone the anticipating . payment cuts that were set to begin next month here was official word from... Read More >
Track codes under capitation
If you work under capitated contracts, file and track plan patients CPT codes, even though you get paid on a per-member per-month basis instead of an FFS basis. Some capitated... Read More >
S Corp Shareholders Can Deduct Health Insurance Premiums
On December , , the IRS issued guidance that allows S corporation shareholders with health insurance policies in their own names, rather than in the S corporation s name, to... Read More >
2008 Form W-4 Available
The IRS has released the final version of the Form W- Employee s Withholding Allowance Certificate . The form remains unchanged from last year except for the provision that the... Read More >
Refer to the third level of compliance to enforce plan action
When contract management personnel are not able to resolve an issue, refer to a third level of contract compliance to garner action from the plan. The following are a few... Read More >
Contract negotiating tips when dealing with HSAs
Although there may be opportunities to negotiate with patients in terms of fees, most HSA products will be tied to PPO networks. Look at how your contracts are written Examine... Read More >
CMS expands payment restriction for diagnostic tests
nbsp Centers for Medicare amp Medicaid Services CMS has expanded the antimarkup provision covering diagnostic tests in the final Medicare physician fee schedule. The antimarkup rule applies when a physician... Read More >
ASCs Save Medicare $464 Million Annually
From Becker s ASC Review An independent report on Pennsylvania s ASCs has turned up some interesting statistics. The report, entitled Financial Analysis , Volume Two, reported a total of... Read More >
OIG Posts Fall Semiannual Report
The following was provided by David Zetter djzetter cavmich.com to the members of the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants www.nschbc.com OIG today posts its final Semiannual Report to... Read More >
Continuously Measure and track physician productivity
Regardless of how your group divides income, keep track of production with quantitative data. Once your group agrees on the standards it will use to quantify production, calculating each doctor... Read More >
Check state laws for physician extenders
Many states laws describe a physician extender i.e., a physician assistant or nurse practitioner as a healthcare professional who practices medicine under physician supervision. Thus he or she can treat... Read More >
2008 Withholding IRS Tables
The IRS issued Notice , which provides early release copies of the tables to appear in Publication Circular E , Employer s Tax Guide For use in . Notice can... Read More >
Claiming Charitable Contributions on 2007 Returns
The IRS released Publication , Charitable Contributions, for use in preparing returns. The What s New section has information on the new recordkeeping requirements for cash contributions, paying the filing... Read More >
Study on free care
Thought you might be interested in this recent email post by my good friend Frank Cohen frank cpahealth.com I just finished reviewing a fascinating study that was published in the... Read More >
Organize deliquent A/R accounts by value
No matter how efficiently you collect, you ll always have some accounts that slip into delinquency and need special attention. When approaching these accounts, teach your staff to do more... Read More >
Gift giving and Stark/anti-kickback
Tis the season for gift giving, so be aware of the Stark and anti-kickback implications of what you are doing. David Harlow in his healthcare blog pointed to a related... 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 >
