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It is possible to bill patients up front for the cost of treatment to get around slow third-party payments. But there is a lot to consider before going this route.

If nurse practitioners are going to treat patients outside the office, they should be credentialed independently, so they can bill their services under their own provider numbers.

What is your obligation when confronted with parents who are unwilling to accept medical advice in the best interest of their child because of their religious convictions?

From top-dog Sermo to upstarts like Ozmosis.com and iMedExchange.com, the number of networking sites dedicated to physicians have proliferated recently.

Here are a few tips from the insurer about interacting with patients via e-mail.

Family and internal medicine doctors were in high demand in 2008, but saw only a modest increase in compensation, according to a report by the Delta Companies.

One of Washington state's largest health systems is putting $20 million behind the concept of a patient-centered medical home.

Certain models of the concierge practice method of medicine could be construed as engaging in the insurance business, according to a report issued by the Maryland Insurance Administration.

Coders, software firms, and physicians were granted another two years to prepare and comply with the greatly expanded set of disease diagnostic codes.

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His own illness leads one doctor to make some changes in the way he treats patients - more than 25 years into practice.

Few of us learned anything about sound financial behavior from classes in high school or college, which leaves us to learn those lessons on our own -- and usually the hard way.

Our fee schedule hasn't changed in a while, and I'm concerned that we're undercharging for some procedures. What can we do to learn whether our fees are at appropriate levels?

Which is more important: Having a chart co-signed promptly by a physician regardless of whether that doctor is listed as the overseeing physician that day, or leaving it open until the overseeing physician can sign it?

When is the right time to refer an account to a collections agency? Generally, is referring accounts to a collections agency worth the time, expense, and effort?

With real estate prices so low, I'm thinking about buying a single-family home as a rental property. Is it true that I can deduct the tax loss from this type of investment against the salary from my practice?

I hear radio ads and see things on the internet that say there are advantages to incorporating in states that don't levy income taxes. Is that true?

Most of my investments are in mutual funds. A friend of mine told me that I should pay attention to a fund's expense ratio and seek funds with low expenses. What does this expense ratio include?

A crossover is done on claims paid by Medicare based on the eligibility information reported.

Medicare will pay for treatment up to and including pronouncing time of death.

Some ZIP codes have more than one Medicare payment locality. These require the four-digit extension for payment to be rendered.

It's widely known that obesity translates to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hospitalization, and early death. So why don't more doctors discuss it with their patients?

The process of ordering and managing medical and office supplies and drugs gets little attention from most primary care physicians and their staffs. But as pressure mounts to reduce costs, improving inventory management can be a fruitful place to look for savings.

The government's relief package comes with considerable tax breaks for professionals.

Don't overlook these possible deductions when it's time to file your 2008 taxes.

Every physician should recognize the need for tax planning and the benefits that can result from it. The simple goal is to defer or reduce your practice's tax bill whenever possible.

An analysis of 11 leading U.S. government health-care reform proposals, large and small, concludes that a package submitted in 2007 by Rep. Pete Stark would increase federal spending the most but provide the largest overall cost reduction.

"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.