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Get your black bag ready. House calls could be in your future. While Medicare prepares to roll out the Independence at Home pilot program next year, commercial insurers have been testing variations on the concept for some time, especially to provide care to the sickest of the sick.

Fed up with the hours on the telephone to untangle claims issues with insurers? A new proposed rule could help. It requires insurers to use uniform transmission formats and standardized forms when they seek information or provide claims and coverage information to doctors.

Practicing defensive medicine is an activity unique to the United States, according to new report, and a congressman with an MD degree says it must end. He has introduced a bill to create limitations on recovery in health care lawsuits based on compliance with best practice guidelines.

A recent study suggests that outpatient computer-generated prescriptions may be just as error-prone as your old paper versions. There is a solution to reduce mistakes, however. You can program your e-prescribing system to help you avoid common errors.

Much of the hoopla has focused on a nearly 30% cut in rates in the proposed update to the physician fee schedule for 2012, even though Congress is likely to intervene to keep the reductions from being so severe. But, a provision calling for review of all of the evaluation and management (E&M) codes is likely to be more significant in the long term for primary care physicians.

After the author's father's death while at his bedside, the author says he returned to doctoring with a different approach to patients who were dying.

Medical malpractice cases would be better managed with a mediation system that includes both parties being involved, not just the lawyers.

Massachusetts badly needs to contain healthcare costs, according to two new state government reports.

The ability to sell a practice is contingent upon finding someone who wants to be where you are, when you want to sell.

First-year primary care physicians earned more in single-specialty practices than as part of multispecialty practices, according to a new study from the MGMA.

Medicare's methods of calculating regional costs are inaccurate and need to be redone, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

Our training as physicians doesn't include any information about insurance, one of the most expensive purchases we make during our careers.

A proposed change to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act would give people the right to see who has electronically accessed their protected health information.

Looking back on our careers, we all have patients who have helped shape our outlook on practicing medicine, or even on life.

Letters discuss the vocational pursuit of medicine, weight loss programs, and lifestyle changes.

How to prepare a succession plan.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has extended the deadline to October 1 for implementing e-prescribing standards.

Learn why men pay less for disability insurance than women.

It is common in a lot of hospital or health system contracts to use RVUs as an indicator of productivity.

Selling a medical practice always has been very individualized, but a little planning and preparation can simplify the process and help you get the most out of your sale.

The technology requirements to be recognized as a PCMH now closely mirror those needed to prove "meaningful use" of health information technology under the new healthcare legislation.

As of January 1, over-the-counter medications other than insulin need a prescription to qualify for reimbursement from an employer-sponsored flexible spending account or health reimbursement arrangement.

The issue of how long you will need tail coverage will turn on the statute of limitations to file a malpractice claim, which is controlled by state law.

Much has been written about the financial and practical use of electronic health records, but what impact is it having on the relationship with our patients?

Some U.S. Senators want an investigation of physician-owned distributorships (POD).

Learn how to code for travel-related counseling and preoperative clearance in the hospital.

The death of a partner in practice forces physician to consider many facets of the practice operation, including the significance of accounts receivable.

Despite today's uncertain economic climate, two recent, surprising reports show that mergers and acquisitions are on the upswing.