Practice Finance

Déjà vu! Payment via paper claims may be required after 5010 conversion

Will your practice have to revert to paper claims to get paid at the beginning of next year? If so, you’re in the same boat as more than half of the practices surveyed recently by the Medical Group Management Association, which is urging the government to come up with contingency plans for HIPAA Version 5010 electronic transaction standards. Currently, payers will be required to reject all electronic claims that do not meet the standards as of January 1. Find out what practices plan to do to avoid serious cash flow issues. » More

Health Law & Policy

Payment cuts slightly less deep under new Medicare rule

Don’t spend it all in one place. The final rule issued early this month by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services dictates that the reduction to Medicare provider rates next year will be 27.4%, not the 29.5% estimated in March, because costs in the program have not increased as much as anticipated. The rule also expands Medicare efforts to remedy undervalued primary care services. Find out how. » More

The way YOU see it

We want to hear from you about your opinions or experiences. Something bothering you? Vent. Have a best practice for a current issue in practice management? Say it!  We invite you to submit a solutions-oriented column of 600 to 1,200 words for publication in Medical Economics’ “The Way I See It” section. You get it off your chest, and–even better—we’ll pay you if we publish it. Submit your column for consideration to Managing Editor Lois Bowers at [email protected].

Practice Finance

Payment models offer preview of future for primary care

What will the payment system for primary care look like in the future? A new government-sponsored program may offer a preview. Through the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 75 high-performing primary care practices in each of five to seven markets will have the opportunity to earn additional revenue. Discover the payment models being tested under the program—and how they could innovate practice finance. » More

Technology

No EHR decision yet? You’re not alone

An ongoing telephone survey involving in-depth questions to 40,000 sites found that 72.6% of physician offices aren’t sure yet when they are going to adopt electronic health record technology, with 16.7% saying that price is their primary concern. The survey also uncovered a surprising statistic—especially considering all of the hype around healthcare technology. » More

Liability & Risk Management

Technology challenge: Balancing patient privacy with information-sharing

Implementing healthcare information technology does not just comply with new government regulations. It also holds the promise of improved patient care by enabling sharing among key clinical information providers. The silver lining’s dark cloud, however, is the risk of unauthorized release of information and violations of patient privacy. The American College of Physicians’ new policy paper endorses the technology—with a few caveats. » More

Health Law & Policy

Med school applications soar despite difficult practice environment

Lower compensation rates and increased regulation are not keeping young people out of medical school. In fact, first-time applicants reached an all-time high in 2011, increasing by 2.6% over 2010 to 32,654 students, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Total applicants rose by 2.8% to 43,919. Find out how far that goes in ameliorating the growing physician shortage. » More

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