Practice Management

Hospitals across the country have been purchasing practices at a rapid pace, but a new study shows that increased hospital ownership may lead to higher prices for patients.

Critics of maintenance of certification should make their opinions known to the certifying boards

Thousands of providers rely on regional extension centers (RECs) to reach Meaningful Use requirements for their EHRs, but now some of these centers will be at risk of closing due to funding being stopped at the end of 2014

Though almost 15,000 physicians have signed a petition rallying against new Maintenance of Certification rules, the American Board of Internal Medicine says that MOC enrollment is growing.

Passage of the ACA and trends in the insurance industry are putting more of the cost burden on patients through high-deductible health plans, with significant implications for physicians, their income, and patient outcomes.

With claim denial rates expected to rise in coming years, here are some of the most common reasons for non-payment and suggestions for ways to capture revenue for your practice.

Outlining the differences and changes in coding for ischemic heart disease in the International Classification of Diseases-10th Revision-Clinical Management (ICD-10-CM)

Physicians and billers should understand the difference between modifier -22, -52, and -53 for current procedural terminology coding.

Suicide is the third most-frequent cause of death in persons aged 10 to 54, so primary care physicians need to be prepared for the ethical and legal ramifications.

Physicians who perform commercial driver's license exams must obtain new certification in order to stay compliant with federal rules and preserve this revenue source.

Many physicians have medical student loans of $180,000 or more, and are interested in finding ways to eliminate this debt through forgiveness. Here's what you need to know.

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a major cause of pain and disability affecting a growing number of patients due to population aging. Here are the recently released guidelines from the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), which provide recommendations on the use of available non-surgical therapies.

Under the Affordable Care Act, most health plans are required to cover preventive services such as depression screening for adults and behavioral assessments for children. That means more patients will be turning to their primary care doctors for help with emotional and behavioral health problems.

This chart outlines the differences in coding for Coronary Atherosclerosis, Angina Pectoris, and Myocardial Infarction under ICD-10.

How does the American Board of Internal Medicine spend the revenue it obtains from physicians' maintenance of certification fees? This chart breaks it down.

Physicians can implement these workflow strategies at their practices to put the focus back on patient care and to better delegate care functions to clinical staff.

A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services advisory panel concluded that Medicare should not cover annual lung cancer screening tests for heavy smokers, a recommendation that has been criticized by advocates of the screening test.

Only a small number of physicians and hospitals have attested to Meaningful Use stage 2, months into the reporting year, according to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

A reader writes that too much healthcare spending is for overhead, and not enough is for patient care.

Most electronic health record systems are a cost drain for practices, but deriving revenue from a system is possible.

Many chronically ill Americans suffer from food insecurity, study finds

Based on industry data collected through April 15, the GOP-led House Energy and Commerce committee estimates that only 67% of healthcare exchange enrollees have paid their premiums.

As more Medicare patients are being served by ACOs, and their numbers continue to grow, a recent survey by the National Association of ACOs says that many aren’t happy with the risk involved in upcoming Medicare contracts.

Language in a new CMS rule implies that October 1, 2015, is now the date for using the new coding system.

Because many people have been using e-cigarettes as a was to stop using tobacco products, healthcare providers need to know the latest information on whether these new devices are safe for their patients.

The nation’s decades-long focus on treating the disease and its consequences appears to be yielding results

More than 10,000 physicians have signed an online petition demanding that the ABIM repeal recent changes to its MOC process that petitioners say could cost physicians more time and money.

A reader writes that he has seen no financial benefit from adopting electronic health records in his practice.

A reader predicts that the financial burden of converting to the ICD-10 coding system will bankrupt many practices