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"Rental" agreements, in which new health plans use a Preferred Provider Organization network from a plan you're contracted with to discount your fees without your permission, may soon be more transparent if a ruling by the National Conference of Insurance Legislators evolves into state laws.

With so many vendors and systems, finding the right electronic health record system software is just part of the struggle practices face in the transition from paper to digital.

In an economic speech prior to his inauguration, President Barack Obama endorsed a goal set by the Bush administration of establishing an electronic health record for every patient by 2014.

Only a small number of consumers are visiting the estimated 1,100 retail health clinics nationwide.

An agreement between the state of New York and UnitedHealth Group may drastically affect out-of-network care reimbursement for you and your patients.

Downcoding, pharma freebies, vaccine costs

The early days of the Obama administration give the estimated 83 percent of doctors without an electronic health record system valid reason to sit tight for a while longer.

How one urinalysis reflects the state of U.S. health care.

In many ways, it was like practicing in a Third World refugee camp, where you have no choice but to adapt quickly to countless shortcomings.

Patient education company Vivacare has expanded its free, online library of patient handouts to include a wider range of specialties, including family medicine.

Two healthcare information technology experts have penned an open letter to President Obama, warning him against investing too many federal dollars in existing electronic health records systems.

The Medical Group Management Association launched a national campaign earlier this month to require health insurance cards to be machine-readable and accepted at every medical practice by 2010.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month granted a two-year deadline extension to 2013 for the transition from ICD-9 codes to the greatly expanded ICD-10 codes.

Physician retirees face unique challenges when looking for volunteer options, but their skills are needed.

Do I absolutely need to buy tail coverage before I retire?

How would we go about finding a group purchasing organization? Are there any guidelines to keep in mind when shopping around for one?

Can you describe the two or three most important benchmarks for a family medicine practice and the ideal target ranges for each one?

A dose of humor from the pages of Medical Economics

My spouse works in my medical practice. Should he be paid?

Is it better to give stock that has appreciated or depreciated to a charity?

Because my income is too high, I cannot make a deductible or Roth IRA contribution. Is there any advantage of making non-deductible IRA contributions?

I've made some recent investments in my practice that have caused me to take on some debt. My understanding is that the interest paid is not deductible. Any suggestions on how to better structure my debt?

Is my practice liable for a partner's questionable business expenses?

CMS now mandates that retroactively billing for a physician in the credentialing process must be completed within 30 days.

In some instances it is appropriate to use modifier –50 for bilateral procedures.

Proper phrasing is essential when documenting a consultation; avoid using the words "referred" and "referral."

As for reducing the risk of liability in a malpractice claim, the most a voicemail service can do is prove that the patient either did or did not receive the test result and any message along with it.

Volunteering can improve lives near and far - especially your own.