Legal

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.

A reader says that the MOC certification process is unnecessary and overpriced.

A reader writes that it is nearly impossible under current reimbursement rates to maintain an independent medical practice.

Understanding the basics of the RVU can assist physicians and practice managers in a wide variety of finance and management-related tasks.

A reader says that maintenance of certification requirements will cause older, experienced doctors to leave medicine.

Many practitioners store, administer, or dispense controlled substances in the office, but they may not be aware of legal requirements concerning the safeguarding and record-keeping of these drugs.

Healthcare professionals should consider whether the benefits of FDA-approved testosterone treatment is likely to exceed the potential risks of treatment.

Hospitals across the United States are merging and purchasing physician practices at a faster clip than they have in decades. While some experts believe the pace of acquisition is not sustainable, the economic forces driving hospital consolidation is also driving up the cost. For employed physicians, that could mean employment trouble. For independent groups, it could signal opportunity.

When hospitals acquire independent medical practices, they will now often reclassify the practice as an outpatient facility. Doing so allows them, under Medicare rules, to add a separate facility charge to a patient’s bill.

The number of young adults enrolling in exchange health plans may be less important than the overall health of all new enrollees.

The debate over the necessity of annual mammograms continues as a recent study suggests that the screenings for breast cancer do not reduce the number of deaths from the disease.

The costs to medical practices for implementing ICD-10 have been grossly underestimated, according to a recent study.

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."