Practice Management

Physicians say direct pay models offer a viable alternative to health insurance, but they require careful planning and outreach.

Accountable care organizations (ACOs) have made few strides in health information technology (IT) since early 2013, according to a recent survey from eHealth Initiative.

Veterans can now be referred to non-U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care physicians (PCPs) to lessen wait times, but there might be pushback because reimbursement may be below standard Medicare rates.

Study ties positive survey results to improved medication adherence, lower readmissions

A reader describes the costs to her practice of maintaining certification.

A reader says the certification exam for internal medicine has little relevance to his practice.

A reader says the MOC process is doomed.

A physician disagrees with the views of an insurance company spokesman regarding the need for prior authorizations.

Practices must establish social media guidelines to protect patient health information and the reputations of its physicians.

One-third of records submitted to the Open Payments website will be withheld when the site launches on September 30 due to possible errors.

Using an agenda and keeping minutes will help to make your practice staff meetings more effective.

The 2014 update to the American Diabetes Association's "Standards of Care" includes recommendations for more individualized attention to patients with diabetes.

Practical advice on incident-to billing from our coding expert

While changes in healthcare push small, independent primary care practices toward consolidation and hospital ownership, a new study shows that those practices have fewer preventable hospital admissions.

The Medicare payment website Open Payments is back online, after CMS temporarily shut it down.

If all currently deployed telemedicine applications were to replace physician, emergency department, and urgent care visits today, it would save $6 billion annually in healthcare costs, according to a new study by global professional services company Towers Watson.

Wal-Mart has entered the primary care area, opening six clinics since April with six more planned by year’s end.

Although more providers are adopting them, EHRs’ potential for systemwide healthcare transformation has yet to be realized.

A key component of the public website that will list payments doctors receive from drug and medical device makers has been taken offline due to incorrect postings, one week after the AMA cited concerns and asked for a 6-month delay of the launch date.

A MACPAC report challenges commonly held beliefs about Medicaid patients and their use of emergency departments.

States actively embracing two key provisions of the Affordable Care Act show steepest declines in those without insurance.

Strong passwords are the first line of defense against computer hackers. But a government report warns that patients are at risk because the certification process for electronic health records doesn’t require the use of a strong password.

Physicians are finding barriers to electronic information exchange difficult to overcome.

Despite a healthcare environment that’s pushing physicians toward employment, many doctors still value their autonomy, and are exploring strategies to preserve their independence in the face of increasing burdens and financial difficulty.