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Physicians who visit most of their patients in their homes or nursing homes won't be able to earn the 2 percent bonus for e-prescribing on their Medicare claims, according to the current legislation.

My bank's personal financial statement form asks if I have any contingent liabilities or obligations. What does that mean?

The question on many people's lips is whether the stock market has reached bottom or whether there is still a ways to go before we get there.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, self-referral laws prohibit a physician from referring patients to an entity for a designated health service if the physician (or immediate family member) has a financial relationship with the entity.

Professional courtesy cannot be used as a "reward" or "incentive" to physicians, their families, or office staff for referring patients to you.

How should we bill care provided by a physician who doesn't have her credentials yet?

I've heard that malpractice insurers often revoke your tail coverage if you volunteer outside of the state in which you're insured. Is that true? What should I do about tail coverage?

I am in the process of a divorce, and one of the issues that has arisen is the value of my medical degree and my "enhanced" earnings as a result of it. How would such a valuation be calculated?

Is it better to give away half of my $1 million retirement plan or keep the entire plan and give $500,000 of other assets?

Two of my employees have asked for in-service distributions from our practice's 401(k) plan. While still employed, is a participant able to receive a distribution?

I recently lost a relative and was appointed executor of her will. My attorney advised me that I am entitled to take an executor's fee and that this is deductible by the estate. Does it make sense to take an executor's fee?

I made a personal loan to an employee, and then she quit. Can I withdraw the funds from her retirement plan account?

California's "Octomom," octuplet mother Nadya Suleman, has certainly raised questions about a physician's duty to patients and society.

Something has gone awry to create an environment that leaves well-intended physicians victimized when government audits reveal their software systems have allowed-even facilitated-submission of non-compliant and potentially fraudulent claims.

The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which promises potential incentives of as much as $64,000 for physicians who adopt an electronic health record system, may have spawned a new cottage industry: EHR selection consultants.

More physician leaders have adopted information technology tools, such as electronic medical records and e-prescribing, than five years ago, but they are generally unsatisfied with the products available.

One out of every eight physicians has been inactive for at least a year in the state in which he is licensed, and most states do not require such physicians to undergo competency tests or retraining when they return to active practice, according to two studies at the University of Michigan.

In what's being touted as a potential game-changer for health information technology, Wal-Mart is entering the business of electronic health records.

The vast majority of Medicare care-coordination programs of chronically ill Medicare patients showed no significant cost savings or health improvements, according to a study published last month.

The danger of EHRs; When you are the patient

Contrary to the conventional wisdom spewed by EHR vendors and the looming mandate presented by the Obama administration, coding claims with electronic health records is not for everyone.

Pharma "rebels," physicians who are deeply dissatisfied with and speak out against pharmaceutical companies, are becoming more prevalent in the U.S., a recent poll indicates. Should Big Pharma be worried?

A new computer decision-support tool for physicians can result in more recommendations from specialists being implemented during a patient's hospitalization, according to a study by its developers.

A group of prominent Maryland healthcare institutions has submitted a plan to create a statewide health information exchange that will allow hospitals to share electronic medical records.

Doctors worried about patients trashing their reputations online can now ask them to sign a waiver promising they won't.

Most medication errors in primary care practices are prescribing errors--many of which could be prevented by electronic tools, according to a new study by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Federal officials are providing little guidance thus far on how physicians can access funds in the $787 billion federal stimulus package to help offset the cost of buying and implementing electronic health record systems.

It is appropriate for primary care doctors to code for visits for patients who request blood-pressure checks and lab slips but who come in without complaints. Primary care doctors are an important part of effective ongoing patient care.

Will Medicare be giving a 2 percent bonus for e-prescribing, along with an additional 2 percent bonus for reporting quality measures?

Despite today's historic market woes, I have come to the conclusion that stocks or their equivalents are the safest, most convenient, most efficient method of growing your savings and securing your retirement.