Practice Management

In the age of "LOL" and emoticons, it can be difficult to know exactly how to address a patient in person. Find out the polite way to give your patients a pleasant experience.

A Commonwealth Fund study wide disparities in how states have been implementing provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), with Arizona having done the least.

Clinical practice has long been art vs. science. But with evidence-based guidelines and electronic decision support, some fear art may be losing the battle, altering a delicate balance that has defined traditional medicine for generations.

The government recently gave grants to 32 projects designed to help practitioners in rural counties in 22 states provide better healthcare by easing access for patients. Find out if your state is among them.

Coordinating patient care with specialists is among the biggest challenges most primary care doctors face. Now you have an opportunity to share your solutions.

If you haven't filed your 2012 e-prescriptions--or filed for an exemption--help is here. See what tools could save you from big payment cuts.

Forty-five insurers have committed to supporting an innovative payment initiative in seven states. Find out which payers are participating and what tradeoffs 75 practices had to make.

Ensuring that your patients have 24/7 access to medical care is challenging but essential if you want your practice to become a Patient-Centered Medical Home. Here's how you can do it.

Doctors in Minnesota want a share of the refunds insurers will be paying to the state.

Getting paid for providing medical services is complicated, and there's often an assumption that doctors have a basic understanding of evaluation and management (E/M) codes. Here are the tools you need to start applying the guidelines with confidence.

Joining a super group has its perks, but it's not all smooth sailing. Learn about the potential problems you could face if you decide to leave it.

Physicians are leading more than half of the first Medicare Shared Savings accountable care organizations (ACOs), which pleases the American Medical Association (AMA).

The costs of healthcare keep increasing and patients get a surprise when the bill arrives. See what your practice can do to better inform patients of prices.

The United States spends more on cancer care than European countries, but its patients typically live nearly 2 years longer, according to a study in the April issue of Health Affairs.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has led to new provider relationships and payment models. Although fee-for-service arrangements still dominate, there's a paradigm shift underway that will change reimbursement as we know it.

If you're performing routine physicals for patients with Medicare, you may wonder how you'll be compensated for cognitive functioning or depression screening. Find out the answer to this pressing coding question.

Patient satisfaction surveys consistently show that wait time is among patients' top complaints with their physicians. A recent analysis showed where states stand.

With the pressures on private practices continuing to grow, more physicians are considering selling to hospitals and healthcare systems. As with any decision, it pays to think things through.

Young physicians think the outlook for their profession is bleak, according to a recent survey by the Physicians Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advocates for doctors.

Six categories of waste account for about 20% of the nation's healthcare spending according to Donald Berwick, MD, former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Dual-energy x-ray absorpitometry to assess bone density isn't new. What is new is that advancing technology and falling costs make it feasible for more practices to offer the service, even with uncertainty about future reimbursement rates.

Planned Parenthood is suing to stop Texas from enforcing a new rule that excludes it from a Medicaid program.

Thinking about consolidating your student loan? Discover the advantages and disadvantages.

With more patients paying for service in cash, your practice could benefit from a cash management policy. See what you should keep in mind when setting one up.

Does your landlord want to raise the rent for your practice's office? Here are a few ways to get more out of the deal.