Practice Management

Cuts are coming. Medicare's sustainable growth rate formula mandates your payments decrease, and there's no guarantee Congress will step in again with a "doc fix." If you take action now, you can avoid an unpleasant shock on New Year's Day 2013.

Spending on prescription drugs in the United States was $320 billion in 2011, an increase of just 0.5% compare with 2010 after adjusting for inflation and population growth.

In a shared practice, the debate over the distribution of income and expenses can be fierce. See what you can do to keep the situation cool.

A contract might feel binding, but there's always room to change it before you sign on the dotted line.

A physician runner ponders the question of whether or not physicals should be mandatory for all long-distance runners.

Physicians with greater racial biases are less likely to provide patient-centered care and don't communicate as well, according to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

What must intensive behavioral counseling for obesity include to be reimbursed by Medicare? Find out the answer to this pressing coding question.

The kinds of health problems you're likely to encounter among your patients depends to a degree on where you practice, according to a recent study.

In the past, few physicians who were addicted to drugs or alcohol admitted their problems openly for fear of losing hospital privileges or medical licenses. With more support systems than ever today, doctors have a place to turn for help to fight the disease that is addiction.

Is your practice still feeling the pinch of the economic downturn? Learn what you can do to bring down your overhead.

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.