All News
Phase out SGR with value- based models, ACP says
May 25th 2013Although the Congressional Budget Office recently downgraded the 10-year cost of repealing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) to $138 billion, the American College of Physicians (ACP) took to the Hill advocating a phased approach to repealing it and moving to value-based models.
Coalition targets poor medication adherence rates
May 25th 2013Two out of three patients do not adhere to their care plans. In fact, adherence problems related to prescription medications is so widespread, they are costing the United States $100 billion a year in medication-related hospital admissions.
Budget cuts signal trouble for medical education
May 25th 2013Although the American Academy of Family Physicians threw support to President Obama’s initiative for Medicaid expansion and Medicare payment reform, across-the-board cuts to graduate medical education (GME) threaten family medicine residency programs.
Washington budget battle focuses on ACA
May 25th 2013Republicans sharply criticized U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in trying to jump start fundraising efforts to non-profits to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The action follows repeated congressional budget denials for the healthcare law, now estimated at $1.3 trillion over 10 years, according a recent report in the Washington Post. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) called the effort “absurd” and demanded an inquiry.
Medical practice income, expenses detailed in new statistics report
May 21st 2013The National Society of Certified Healthcare Business Consultants has released information on medical practice overhead percentages, average monthly charges in accounts receivable, full time equivalent staff ratios, and more in its 2012 Joint Statistics Report of Medical and Dental Statistics on Income and Expenses.
Most patient education materials suffer from lack of readability, study says
May 20th 2013Patient education materials from 16 major medical societies all suffer from a lack of readability, making them difficult for patients to comprehend and potentially contributing to poor health literacy, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Perspective: Cost control myths must be addressed to fix health system
May 10th 2013From misunderstandings about the role of healthcare inflation to cost controls in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), three economic myths must be addressed for the healthcare system to function properly, says Theodore R. Marmor, PhD, Yale University professor emeritus of public policy and management as well as political science. He recently spoke with Medical Economics Editor-in-Chief Lois A. Bowers, MA.
Could a patient-centered change to Medicare's injectable drugs policy save billions?
April 29th 2013Changing Medicare's policy to permit patients to self-administer injectable drugs in their homes could create "substantial savings" without inhibiting patient safety or treatment effectiveness, according to a recent NEJM editorial.
RACs reviewing POS coding for physician services in an outpatient setting
April 25th 2013Recovery audit contractors are looking at scenarios in which a physician furnishes services in an outpatient setting of a hospital to ensure that claims are being billed with the appropriate code. Here's how to make sure you're submitting accurate claims.
3 steps to controlling staff costs
April 25th 2013After provider compensation, costs for support staff are the biggest expense of running a medical practice. Even with good practice management, you and your office manager often may feel as if you never can get staffing levels just right, which is understandable. Here are three steps to determining the appropriate staffing balance for your practice.
