Practice Management

Not sure how to start preparing for ICD-10 in your own medical practice? These strategies can help physicians prepare for the transition set for October 1, 2015.

Responding to pressure from physicians, hospitals and lawmakers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) plans to give electronic health record (EHR) users more flexibility in meeting the requirements of its meaningful use program.

As of November 1, 2014, only 2% of eligible professionals had attested to Meaningful Use 2. This is not good news for thethousands of independent physician practices that rely on Medicare payments: the Center for Medicare Services is slated to handout 1% penalties this year for MU2 slackers

Here are seven strategies your practice can use to make sure you meet all the requirements of the MU program should the auditors come calling, and ensure you can keep the incentive money you earned.

As medical practice owners continue to ready their practices for International Classification of Diseases-10th revision (ICD-10) implementation in October, lawmakers are still undecided as to whether another delay will be included in sustainable growth rate (SGR) legislation slated for the spring.

In order to continue funding the expiring bonus payment for primary care physicians, the commission will suggest a 1.4% payment cut in 75% of non-primary care services

For as long as primary care has existed, there have been patients who did not, would not, or (so they thought) could not follow doctors’ advice. But innovative physicians have been honing techniques to reach these most difficult patients.

Many physicians feel they're between a rock and a hard place. If they're participating in the Medicare side of the Meaningful Use program, have attested before, and don't attest to MU2 this year, they'll not only lose financial incentives but will be subject to penalties in 2017.

A new study published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, found that physicians may be over-treating some older adult diabetic patients resulting in greater health threats from the diabetes medications prescribed to them.