Practice Management

Mutually exclusive code edits play a role in whether procedures can be bundled.

The modifier -25 is not applicable to all emergency-type services performed in the office.

Medicare is usually the secondary payer, but not always. Check with the patient to see what other type of coverage is involved.

The number of doctors prescribing antibiotics to adults with acute viral bronchitis is still rising, despite the fact that such drugs have no effect on that condition.

The first phase of the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor program was a boon for budget-minded policymakers on Capitol Hill, but the controversial plan promises another potential headache for physicians.

A wide range of new equipment can help improve your practice - and the quality of patient care.

The average total compensation for an internal medicine physician jumped 8 percent during the past year to $232,963 a year.

Patient collections remains a top concern for MGMA members - and even more so in a declining economy.

With the crumbling economy on everyone's minds, the Medical Group Management Association announced its support of a cost-cutting initiative for physicians at last month's conference in San Diego.

Despite the hefty $11 billion price tag, creating a unique patient identification number for every person in the U.S. would return more than that amount in quality and efficiency gains to the country?s health-care system, according to a study the RAND Corp.

The largest health insurer in Massachusetts is aggressively pushing e-prescribing, requiring physicians in the state to prescribe electronically by 2011 or get bounced from its bonus-payment programs.

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.