By John W. McDaniel bio Hospitals are seeking new and innovative ways to affiliate with physicians that differ from tactics used in the 1990s, These new relationships involve a more formal type of relationship with physicians, which might reflect lessons learned through previous less‐than‐satisfactory relationships. Most hospitals have physician integration strategies as a … [Read more...] about The physician enterprise model: a non-employment alternative
Working with physicians
5 people problems and how to solve them
By Lynne Curry bio We can’t guess all the challenges facing us as office managers in this new year, but we can assume that we will be dealing with an old one: people and their personalities. Whether working together virtually or in-person, chances are good you will be dealing with people problems. Here are five common problems and strategies for dealing with them. Stopping … [Read more...] about 5 people problems and how to solve them
OIG issues fraud alert on pharmaceutical company in-person speaker programs
Before the pandemic put the chill on live conference events, it was fairly common for pharmaceutical companies, device makers and diagnostics companies to offer healthcare professionals fees for in-person speaking appearances. Such practices raise red flags under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) when those speakers recommend the products of those companies to their … [Read more...] about OIG issues fraud alert on pharmaceutical company in-person speaker programs
Clinicians in three disaster-struck states get MIPS break
If your medical practice is located within the disaster-struck states of Louisiana, California or Oregon you may be eligible for a payment adjustment. In response to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designation of Hurricane Laura and the California and Oregon wildfires as national disasters, CMS has determined that the automatic extreme and uncontrollable … [Read more...] about Clinicians in three disaster-struck states get MIPS break
Impact of 2021 evaluation and management coding changes to WRVU based physician compensation
By John McDaniel bio As you may know, all physician contracts which include any form of WRVU based compensation will need to be reviewed and probably amended due to the increase in WRVUs (work relative value units) associated with E&M CPT codes effective Jan. 1, 2021. We recently conducted an assessment for one of our hospital clients which showed the ʺunintended … [Read more...] about Impact of 2021 evaluation and management coding changes to WRVU based physician compensation
Physician Compare Preview Period open until Aug. 20
The Physician Compare 60-day Preview Period is officially open as of June 22. You can now preview your 2018 Quality Payment Program performance information before it will appear on Physician Compare profile pages and in the Downloadable Database. You can access the secured Preview through the Quality Payment Program website. Access the resource below on how to preview your … [Read more...] about Physician Compare Preview Period open until Aug. 20
Physicians can report COVID-19 clinical trial data through QPP
Improved availability of data key to driving improvement in patient care and development of innovative practices The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is encouraging clinicians who participate in the Quality Payment Program (QPP), such as physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and others, to contribute to scientific research and evidence to … [Read more...] about Physicians can report COVID-19 clinical trial data through QPP
How to assess the overall health of your medical practice
By Nick Hernandez bio How do you know that your overall business is healthy? How do you know that the business processes you perform are working properly? Now, how would others in your practice know? Metrics are important for a number of reasons. For starters, if you don't know how well you are doing, how do you know what to keep doing and what to change? Words without … [Read more...] about How to assess the overall health of your medical practice
How to handle the ‘bully doctor’ without losing your temper or your job
A growing concern in all types of professional offices is the bully boss. "Bullying is the issue for this decade that sexual harassment was in the 1980s," says Rachel Schaming, a business and leadership coach based in Tucson, AZ. In a physician practice, the issue is especially difficult, because the bully is often a senior doctor. As a result, staff don't want to mention the … [Read more...] about How to handle the ‘bully doctor’ without losing your temper or your job
The plain and practical side of medical office managing
Equally as important as regulations, revenue, coding, and Medicare are the day-to-day issues of running the office and managing people. Here are solutions to many of the ongoing and aggravating issues managers face every day. They don't come from management school. They are the wisdom of consultants and of managers in medical offices. And they are all simple, workable … [Read more...] about The plain and practical side of medical office managing