Practice Management

"It's an occupational hazard now. I've been diagnosed with 'Prior Authorization Elbow.'"

In between the headache that is healthcare for physicians these days, Medical Economics has tried to insert some laughter into the crazy and hectic lives of our readers through our Funny Bone Comics. Click through to see which cartoons you got the most joy and laughs from this past year.

An inside look at what drives insurers to refuse to negotiate, require more prior auths and deny claims

Despite recent moves to streamline the prior authorization process, physicians still struggle mightily as they jump through payers’ hoops.

Physicians should focus on generating revenue, not putting in a longer workday, experts say

To take on a lease or take out a loan? For many small business owners, that really is the question. Especially for those in the medical field, it’s a tough choice between leasing expensive new equipment or financing it with a loan.

How approval hassles for ordering tests or prescribing drugs can get in the way of caring for patients.

Today, we stand in solidarity against the causes of physician suicide. We must shine a light on the causes and either force them to change or make them irrelevant.

Doctors and hospitals in the U.S. spend nearly $200 billion per year on medical devices, according to a 2015 study by the Advanced Medical Technology Association.

Quality metrics, MOC and physician income are the hot topics readers are talking about in this issue of Your Voice.

MACRA/MIPS should be abandoned for the good of Medicare patients.

Electronic health record systems were not designed for population health, but help is on the way.

Within many physicians practices, there is a relatively untapped resource for optimizing revenue-business operations data. There has never been a better time to dive into this type of data-it can show both areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

Don’t wait until April 15 to focus on tax planning for yourself and your practice. Here’s how to get off to a positive start on the 2016 tax season.

Electronic health record pop-up notices, intended to help physicians by providing timely reminders and alerts, could end up actually compromising patient care. Customizing the system and integrating it into the practice workflow is one of the best strategies for appropriately and efficiently using alerts-and avoiding potential alert fatigue.

The challenge for many practices is to provide PCMH without adequate funding as we wait for value-based programs to become more prevalent.

Small practices often have the weakest security, experts say, leaving physician vulnerable to considerable threats.

Read about the ten challenges Medical Economics believes will be important to physicians in the upcoming year.

Coding and billing advice from the experts.

With statistics showing that patients are increasingly going online for healthcare information, managing a physician’s online reputation within the confines of the law and policies regulating professional behavior is becoming more important than ever.

In "The Last Word," John N. Frank talks about the future of the 21st Century Cures Act and how it could lead to an increase of medications in the marketplace.

Medical Economics is proud to unveil the honorable mention entries in our 2015 Physician Writing Contest. We believe the essays exemplify what connecting with your patients is truly about, and demonstrate the levels of heart, determination, and empathy you strive to bring into every exam room, every day. Thanks for reading.

Stay on top of your ICD-10 training, as denials from private payers will likely increase well before next October.

Staying up to speed with the ICD-10 coding system will take a little continuing education at your medical practice.