Legal

A reader calls the maintenance of certification process "outrageous and ridiculous."

Several states are considering variations on “any willing provider” laws that would make payers accept broader provider networks.

Being able to exchange patient health information electronically with other providers comes with legal obligations you need to be aware of.

Audio, video and photography features on mobile devices have caused troubling incidents related to the unauthorized dissemination of information about patients and practices. While it’s impossible to completely prevent unapproved recordings, steps can be taken to minimize the risks.

Physician employment contracts with hospitals or healthcare systems can be unpredictable. Physician must look closely at compensation, impacts of new payment models, termination clauses, and restrictive covenants.

Even modest improvements in continuity can lead to substantial savings.

In an effort to crack down on narrow network plans and broaden patient access to physicians, the Obama administration has proposed tougher restrictions for health plans on the federal exchanges, beginning in 2015.

Legislation that will change Medicare’s SGR passed through the House of Representatives on Friday, though an amendment that delays a penalty for the individual mandate of the ACA is causing Democrats to oppose the bill.

U.S. News & World Report released its rankings for the best U.S. medical schools for primary care.

Physician comments will be used in designing a model for the transformation of a clinical practice, CMS says.

A new website created by CMS aims to help practice owners come up with a plan to implement ICD-10.

Designed to increase the transparency of financial relationships in the healthcare industry, the Sunshine Act requires the collection and reporting of certain financial transactions to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Only credentialed medical assistants are permitted to enter medication, radiology, and laboratory orders into the EHR to count toward meeting the Meaningful Use thresholds under the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive programs.

A reader writes that he has been recertified four times and met his continuing medical education requirements, so he should not be required to do maintenance of certification again.

A reader explains the meaning of "nonprofit" as it applies to hospitals.

K.J. Lee, MD, writes to clarify his proposal for a payment system that would reward physicians for improving patients' outcomes.

A reader says the maintenance of certification process does nothing to help patients.

A reader says maintenance of certification exam did not cover the day-to-day medical issues she confronts in her practice.

The overall health of the population enrolled in the exchanges may be determine whether the exchanges succeed, many experts believe.

President Barack Obama is including increased funding toward medical school programs for internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine in his 2015 budget proposal. But Medicare plans to cut payments to practicing physicians.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced changes to stage 2 and stage 3 of the Meaningful Use (MU) program designed to ease the burden on physicians already coping with many regulatory burdens.

Analysis of data at one of the nation's largest Patient-centered Medical Home pilots finds limited improvements in costs and patient outcomes.

CMS says reductions will average 1.9%; insurance companies say cuts will be much larger

The “hyper-politicized debate” about healthcare reform needs to shift to a thoughtful dialogue about evidence and data, according to former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in addressing thousands of HIT professionals at the HIMSS 2014 conference in Orlando, Florida.

There will be no more delays to the October 1 deadline to implement the ICD-10 coding system.That was the message from CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner during Thursday’s keynote presentation to the HIMSS 2014 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida.