Practice Management

Some ZIP codes have more than one Medicare payment locality. These require the four-digit extension for payment to be rendered.

The process of ordering and managing medical and office supplies and drugs gets little attention from most primary care physicians and their staffs. But as pressure mounts to reduce costs, improving inventory management can be a fruitful place to look for savings.

"Rental" agreements, in which new health plans use a Preferred Provider Organization network from a plan you're contracted with to discount your fees without your permission, may soon be more transparent if a ruling by the National Conference of Insurance Legislators evolves into state laws.

Only a small number of consumers are visiting the estimated 1,100 retail health clinics nationwide.

The early days of the Obama administration give the estimated 83 percent of doctors without an electronic health record system valid reason to sit tight for a while longer.

Health insurer Wellpoint plans to collaborate with health plans in four states on a new online cost transparency initiative.

Patient education company Vivacare has expanded its free, online library of patient handouts to include a wider range of specialties, including family medicine.

The Medical Group Management Association launched a national campaign earlier this month to require health insurance cards to be machine-readable and accepted at every medical practice by 2010.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services earlier this month granted a two-year deadline extension to 2013 for the transition from ICD-9 codes to the greatly expanded ICD-10 codes.

Physician retirees face unique challenges when looking for volunteer options, but their skills are needed.

How would we go about finding a group purchasing organization? Are there any guidelines to keep in mind when shopping around for one?

Can you describe the two or three most important benchmarks for a family medicine practice and the ideal target ranges for each one?

CMS now mandates that retroactively billing for a physician in the credentialing process must be completed within 30 days.

In some instances it is appropriate to use modifier –50 for bilateral procedures.

Proper phrasing is essential when documenting a consultation; avoid using the words "referred" and "referral."

Volunteering can improve lives near and far - especially your own.

Even with a single-payer, government-operated health system, it's tough for solo doctors to make a go of it in Great Britain.

Sometimes, the best place for care isn't the best place for the patient's finances or for family considerations. But sometimes it's still the best choice to make.

Medical Economics joins a volunteer group's monthly mission to a clinic in rural Mexico.

A medical residency program at New York University may offer some clues to help curb the burnout rate and increase the number of primary care physicians.

How would you suggest calculating a reduction in pay for physicians who want to stop taking call?

The AMA has implemented numerous changes to Category III codes, and some of them have transitioned to Level I CPT codes.

CMS has specific guidelines on how to meet the in-office ancillary exception if group practices have a formal arrangement to share office space.

A provider must render the service in order to bill for it; simply signing the chart is not providing the service.

The idea behind check-in kiosks is not only to increase the accuracy of patient records, but also to improve patient and staff satisfaction by decreasing tedious administrative tasks.