Practice Finance

Facing shrinking reimbursement rates and a growing list of administrative tasks, many primary care physicians are exploring alternative practice options, including direct-pay models.

The nation’s physicians contribute a lot more than health and wellness to their communities-their activity generates $1.6 trillion for the national economy, according to the American Medical Association.

How can physician investors guard against overreacting to large swings in the stock market? Here are strategies to setting asset allocation and rebalancing your portfolio.

Physician employment contracts with hospitals or healthcare systems can be unpredictable. Physician must look closely at compensation, impacts of new payment models, termination clauses, and restrictive covenants.

K.J. Lee, MD, writes to clarify his proposal for a payment system that would reward physicians for improving patients' outcomes.

In the near future, patients will cover more of their healthcare bills as deductibles increase along with access to insurance. It could mean a financial hit if the challenges presented by the trend toward high-deductible health plans are not handled properly by medical practices.

Hiring your family at your medical practice can lower your tax burden and help them with their retirement planning.

With this issue Medical Economics introduces "The Lighter Side," providing you with lifestyle tips for your time away from your practice.

With spring nearly here, consider these sites for a relaxing vacation.

Knowing when it’s the right investment can determine whether you see profit or losses from your real estate venture.

Staff salaries are among a practice’s largest expenses. These tips will help practice managers fine-tune their pay scales and build merit into their compensation plans.

This chart takes a look at why some doctors don't make as much money as the public thinks they do.

Major tax changes for 2013 will continue to hit physician’s wallets in 2014. Here’s what to look out for.

While some states have raised Medicaid payments to physicians to match Medicare reimbursements, others lag behind.

Cosmetic dermatology is a growing market, one that some primary care physicians can use as an ancillary revenue stream to boost their income. But experts say use caution when adding them to your practice.

Coding Expert Renee Stantz provides more details about the new Evaluation and Management codes for 2014 and other Current Procedural Terminology revisions

As primary care practices seek to increase availability to their patients, experts say non-traditional hours can significantly benefit practices financially. Here's how.

As primary care practices consider transforming to the Patient Centered Medical Home framework, one of the key concepts is increasing practice availability to patients. Adding nontraditional hours is worth exploring to meet patient needs and increase profitability.

High-quality care and efficiency – Those are the two points that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) emphasized with the release of its 2014 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

New compensation models will be key as payers look to reward quality vs. volume

The author proposes a new way of paying for healthcare that keeps elements of the fee-for-service model but also takes outcomes into account.

The number of urgent care centers in the United States is growing, and many physicians see expansion into urgent care services as an opportunity to grow their practices.

Physician practice owners took a pay cut last year, according to the results of the 85th exclusive Medical Economics Continuing Study, an annual survey that examines physician earnings.

A look at the median income of primary care physicians, using data from the 85th annual Medical Economics 2013Exclusive Continuing Study, which collected responses from physicians about their professional life.

Doctors are benefitting from more companies entering the malpractice market, but the Affordable Care Act could end the slide