Practice Management

The challenge: Health plans deny or require pre-authorization for prescriptions of name-brand drugs.

If you'd prefer not to pay for a mystery-patient firm, follow this guide to design your own program.

Practices that aspire to become medical homes are required to set self-and evidence-based standards for access, communication and clinical care, create and document team-based strategies for achieving these standards, and document movement toward achieving standards.

Senator Max Baucus and another pair of senators have produced two plans to reform America's struggling health care system. How would these plans affect you?

Compare Barack Obama's pre-election and post-election plans for healthcare reform.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has recommended a 1.1 percent increase in fee-for-service payments to physicians in 2010.

The additional rules obligate physicians to individually notify patients and the local media if there has been a security breach of "protected health information."

What can we do to continue caring for our patients after they've entered a nursing facility, and the nursing facility is denying us access?

While leaders of the AMA, AAFP, and American College of Physicians all support Obama's goals and what he's done so far, no one is underestimating the tremendous political hurdles-or the potential for opposition from segments of the physician community.

In a large medical practice, who typically fills out disability and Family Medical Leave Act forms for a patient?

The number of family medicine residencies offered to U.S. medical school seniors and other applicants dropped to 2,535 this year, down from 2,636 in 2008.

Can I buy part-time malpractice insurance due to the fact that I see so few patients?

We're trying to find a way to get through the tough times right now, and I have read a little about accounts receivable factoring. What do you think about this?

The type of monitoring device affects the selection of the CPT codes used to report the service.

Several states have recently launched medical school loan reimbursement programs for primary care physicians, and more may be on the way.

Though a little optimism never hurts, it is a fool's bet that politicians alone can fix what's wrong with our system.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?