Legal

Close to 1.1 million signed up in January, data show

Congress has agreed on legislation to repeal the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. But the changes not only affect physician reimbursements. The proposed legislation also overhauls current incentive programs, establishing the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System.

The vast majority of practices have done nothing to get ready for ICD-10 or are only "somewhat ready."

A reader says that the business pressures of running a medical practice makes it no longer enjoyable.

A reader proposes alternatives to the need to obtain insurance company preapprovals for treatments and procedures.

A reader says that doctors today are under too much scrutiny and have too many requirements placed on them.

A reader writes that the ongoing controversy over maintenance of certification requirements echoes another episode in American medicine a century ago.

Will reimbursement data on individual physicians lead to better healthcare or leave doctors exposed?

Like it or not, ICD-10-CM is coming in October, which means medical practices are going to have to code and document their physicians’ patient encounters with more detail and complexity, or they won’t get paid. To help physicians prepare, we highlight some examples of ICD-10-CM coding in action.

The Sustainable Growth Rate replacement bill passing Congress today would guarantee .5% Medicare reimbursement increases for five years while new payment models are developed and phased in. But medical groups remain cautiously optimistic.

HHS Secretary says additional states will recognize the financial benefits of making Medicaid more accessible to their residents.

More doctors are using electronic health records, but the growth is faster in some states and practice sizes than others.

President Barack Obama skimmed the surface of the Affordable Care Act during his sixth State of the Union speech, while physicians, nurses, educators, and thought leaders in the healthcare industry weighed in on the country's challenges.

Reader opinion: A reader writes to disagree with a proposed pay model designed to reward quality.

Allowing nurse practitioners to expand their scope of practice will make healthcare more efficient and reduce physician burnout.

A reader recalls an experience as a youth when his relationship with healthcare providers made a difference.

Reader opinion: Malpractice lawsuits haunt physicians forever, regardless of the outcome.

A new survey reveals that American healthcare consumers are reluctant to make changes that would bring about the lower healthcare costs they say they want.

Elderly or chronically ill patients may want family and friends to have access to their health records, but physicians’ offices run into the legal problem of keeping those records secure.

Patient Safety Organizations (PSOs) allow providers to report safety and quality data that is protected from legal discovery and publication. In return, PSOs can be a source of confidential advice and data analysis for physicians seeking to understand and improve their healthcare delivery.

The federal government has spent about $5.8 billion through the Meaningful Use program to encourage doctors to buy and use electronic health records in their practices. What have physicians, their patients, and taxpayers gotten for that money so far?

Most physicians have run into troublesome patients they would like to remove from their patient panels. While your patients are free to terminate their relationship with your practice at any time, with or without notice, and for any reason, you cannot necessarily do the same. Here's why.

There are 77 listed Patient Safety Organizations in 29 states and the District of Columbia. Here's the complete list.

The number of uninsured people in the U.S. continues to decline, most noticeably in populations that need insurance the most.

Beginning this spring, it will be easier for insurance companies, patients, and watchdogs to get payment information about individual physicians due to a policy change by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.