Practice Management

It's not health insurance bureaucracy, an aging population or malpractice liability, but rather rampant spending on ineffective and unproven technology that is the top driver of the increased cost of health care in the United States, according to a recent study.

How many patients should an average family physician see per day as an employee of a medical office? How much should a family physician be compensated?

Certain insurance carriers insist they are not receiving our claims, regardless of whether they were sent by our online program, fax, or mail. What can we do about this repeated stall tactic?

Can I be held liable for declining to refill the medication of a patient who's refused to take a test?

In an emergency situation, the provider and coder must know which procedures are bundled together and which procedures are independent.

Community-based electronic exchanges of health information are decreasing the cost of care, according to a survey by the non-profit eHealth Initiative.

The primary care specialties would be more financially and politically competitive if they merged into a single specialty, according to the associate dean of an Illinois medical school.

Although it has yet to hold its first class, the University of Central Florida's College of Medicine is already among the most sought-after and selective medical schools in the country.

If you want to have time to listen to your patients, to provide the care they need when they need it, and to enjoy your work, this may be the right system for you.

I've never charged patients any fees for pulling out and copying their records, but I may start soon. What does HIPAA have to say about this?

What would a reasonable doctor-to-staff ratio be, with a physician seeing five patients an hour?

Can I be held liable in any way if I deny a dismissed patient's request for refills after the 30-day period?

Are there any guidelines or rules about how the income from an on-site lab is divided?

A solo practitioner must apply for a Type II NPI, which will become the group NPI if the practitioner wants to bill for both his own services and those of a staff nurse practitioner.

Bringing billing in-house presents myriad challenges to ensure that old accounts receivable do not get lost in the transition.

As a patient, small business owner, and physician, I also have an opinion on what needs to be done to right our health-care system. Following are my recommendations for creating a healthier United States.

As health-care costs continue to rise, 59 percent of U.S. businesses admit that they intend to increase their employees' out-of-pocket spending limits in 2009 for employer-sponsored plans.

Medical Economics has tapped the knowledge of a number of veteran investigators, who offer a look at the various factors to be considered prior to becoming involved in clinical trials.

Experts believe it won't be long before physicians who are paid under Medicare Part B will be docked for "never events."

As the number of retail clinics grows nationally, so does the demand for physician's assistants and nurse practitioners.

Doctors from across the country gathered in San Diego last month for the American Academy of Family Physicians' 2008 Scientific Assembly.

New AAFP President Ted Epperly strongly backs the medical home patient-care model.

I started making a simple request to drug reps seeking my time: Instead of providing a meal for my staff, help me access information that would improve my ability to tend to my patients.

I'm thinking about bringing aboard a certified public accountant to handle accounting and office management. Can this work?

We've recently discovered that our payroll service stopped taking health benefits payments out of participants' paychecks a year ago. What should we do?

How can I add additional information to a patient's record without risking suspicion if I'm ever sued and those records are scrutinized?

How do I reduce the amount I pay for my employees' health insurance?

I've begun to wonder about the safety of my retirement fund. Are my savings safe from creditors and the government?

List the most complex (highest-fee) procedure first for reimbursement at 100 percent.