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In order to encourage providers to adopt EHR technology, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has informed state Medicaid directors that the federal government will reimburse states for 100 percent of incentive payments made to healthcare providers showing "meaningful use" of electronic health records.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology has published more information on its $598 million grant program to go towards 70 Health Information Technology Regional Extension Centers.

A one-year evaluation study from the Group Health Cooperatives demonstrates that a medical home model in conjunction with health information technology could solve the nation's primary care physician shortage.

The Medical Group Management Association is asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to hasten the reporting of electronic health record data for the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative P4P program, according to a letter from the organization.

The Federation of American Hospitals sent a letter to federal health IT officials asking them to drop "meaningful use" proposals that would require healthcare providers to meet quality improvement targets in order to qualify for federal incentive payments.

I've had several negative experiences with the insurance reimbursement system and am thinking of going with an all-cash concierge-style practice. Should I?

To help you get control of your financial future, Medical Economics offers our annual exclusive list of the 150 best financial advisers for doctors.

I have an adjustable-rate mortgage that I've had no problem paying, but it's about to go up in a few months and I'm afraid it'll be too expensive. What can I do?

I have several credit cards, two of which have sizable balances. Is there a way I can manage my debt in a way that improves my credit score?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in late August plans to award $598 million in grants to open as many as 70 regional offices next year to help practices adopt electronic health record systems.

Can I bill for a preoperative visit, and if so, what CPT code should be used?

Unfortunately, even though there are CPT codes for simpler procedures, there is currently no code for ring removal or entrapment.

A better future for primary care is right in front of us if we have the courage to change, and indeed we must change.

If patient information is stolen, practices must notify the affected patients and, in some cases, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and local media, according to new regulations that go into effect on September 23.

Nearly half of physicians believe that various off-label uses of prescription drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to a national survey.

Efforts to thwart the increasing costs of healthcare cannot succeed without addressing the question of how much care to provide the terminally ill.

What statistics do I really need to track in my practice?

Our physicians don't want to report code 90465 when children under 8 years of age are vaccinated, because they do not provide any counseling.

Recent changes in credit card laws will likely affect everyone in ways both positive and negative.

In a letter sent to executives, two top lawmakers demanded compensation information, for each year from 2003 to 2008, on health insurance company employees earning more than $500,000, including their bonuses, stock options, and other incentives.

A general rule when deciding between paying down debt or savings is to estimate the difference between the interest rate of the debt and potential return on investment.

The Dow is up; more public corporations have been reporting positive quarterly earnings-but which companies are really performing well?

A little-known fact about credit scores is that generally automobile financing uses a unique set of scores.

A look at state legislation affecting primary care doctors.

Charging an administrative fee is reasonable and fair, according to one reader.

A rough year for the U.S. economy had little negative impact on the income of physicians, according to the results of Medical Economics' 2009 Exclusive Survey.

What statistics do I really need to track in my practice?

Exercise stress testing is helpful in evaluating chest pain in selected patients and is a cost-effective strategy for triaging patients with chest pain in the primary care setting.

Now that the H1N1 vaccine has been approved, primary care physicians are waiting to hear whether 1 or 2 shots will be required for adult patients.

Patients suffering from depression who participated in online cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions were nearly 2.5 times more likely to recover from depression than their standard care counterparts.