The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says new rules governing electronic funds transfers, along with other changes that make it easier to check patients' health coverage eligibility and the status of claims, will save the national healthcare system more than $16 billion over the next decade.
Disappointed, but not surprised was the reaction of the American Academy of Family Physicians president after Congress passed legislation last week which saved Medicare payments from a drastic cut, but didn’t solve the underlying problem.
Family physicians provide more care to rural areas than any other specialty. See how education is driving this development.
More than 10% of physicians admit they’ve told patients something they knew wasn’t true. Find out who among your colleagues is most likely to fib, and why.
Out-of-network physicians who billed the insurer from 1994 to 2009 could recoup more than half of their lost payments. Even if you didn’t file a claim, you may be eligible.
Office-based healthcare providers receiving federal electronic health record system incentive payments will be part of a new national database created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The $26.7 billion Medicaid waiver at the heart of the healthcare reform in Massachussetts has been extended through 2014. The waiver represents a $5.7 billion increase over the previous waiver.
The percentage of Americans in families having trouble paying medical bills in 2010 stayed unchanged from 2007, despite the end of the recession, according to a new study from the Center for Studying Health System Change.
A Washington, DC, think tank is pushing lawmakers to invest in healthcare information technology. Discover which influence-makers are involved-and what they’re recommending.
The American College of Physicians urged Congress not to cut funding for the National Health Services Corps. Learn why the ACP says it’s so important.
A quest to determine why physicians drop Medicare from their practices, and what effect it has on healthcare has ended in failure. See what roadblock got in the way.
One major group is fighting the switch, and another is urging its members not to wait. Learn the reasoning behind their positions.
More people in Massachusetts have health insurance now than when mandated coverage was enacted. Despite the gains, costs are still climbing. Learn the national implications.
National insurer WellPoint announced a medical home program that could raise your compensation by 50%. Eligibility won’t be easy and could affect your whole practice.
Your professional groups are demanding legislators repeal Medicare’s sustainable growth rate formula. See how much it could cost, and why taking from the war chest could work.
Two decades of studies intended to reduce Medicare spending didn’t save much money, the Congressional Budget Office says. Learn more about the failed plans.
A new Oregon law requires concierge and other “retainer” practices to register and be certified by the state. Find out why.
Referrals from primary care physicians and specialists more than doubled from 1999 to 2009, a recent analysis found. See why experts disagree on the reason behind the growth.
This year the government is giving physicians extra time to drop their Medicare participation. But you do face one snag if you let the relationship linger too far into 2012.
The California Hospital Association (CHA) is suing state and federal officials to block a 10% cut in government reimbursements to healthcare providers who treat low-income patients under the state's Medi-Cal program. The CHA claims the cuts will force many hospitals to close their skilled nursing facilities.
A new study from an international organization confirms what you probably suspected already: The American healthcare system is uneven, expensive, and inefficient.
The author has seen a troubling rise in fraud, graft and discount doctoring since insurers have raised premiums, copays, and deductibles to maddening heights.
Unreasonable expectations invite disaster, but turning away a patient can cost you revenue. Where do you draw the line? Every doctor answers differently.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for its physician fee schedule November 1 and stated that providers would see an across-the-board reduction of 27.4% for services in 2012, but much is still unclear about this change.
Physicians need to be more cost-conscious, but not at patients? expense, according to the new ethics manual from the American College of Physicians (ACP). Read why in this exclusive interview with ACP President Virginia Hood.
