A new bill, signed into law by President Obama in April 2015, which addresses the way physicians are paid for treating Medicare patients, has another provision that affects medical practices. A section of the bill indicates that Social Security account numbers must not be "displayed, coded or embedded on the Medicare card." Currently, a Medicare patient's Social Security … [Read more...] about New law means changes to Medicare cards, challenges for medical offices
Why your doctor left town in a huff
Contracts often limit where physicians can work if they change employers Patients may just shrug when they learn their doctor plans to move to a new office. After all, they can just follow, right? Maybe not. Or at least, not easily. Physician contracts often contain restrictive covenants that limit where doctors can work if they leave their current practices. The … [Read more...] about Why your doctor left town in a huff
8 pitfalls of letting employees work from home
Contrary to what you might have heard in HR circles, refusing to let employees work from home will not make your medical office a dinosaur that nobody will ever want to work for. In fact, it will put you in the same position as the nearly 65 percent of employers that don’t allow telecommuting. But telecommuting does offer significant business advantages. And to the extent … [Read more...] about 8 pitfalls of letting employees work from home
Employee termination
Related reading: Protect yourself legally and physically when you fire a staffer 3 proven ways to make firing easier on everyone 5 ways you can get into trouble with employment law … [Read more...] about Employee termination
Mental illness in the workplace: not just “a case of the Mondays”
By R. Scott Oswald bio When we think of "mental health" problems, many of us envision obvious symptoms. But mental health presents challenges precisely because it can be almost impossible to observe. This can become a problem in the workplace when an employee experiences intense anxiety or panic due to the stress of the position, and management simply expects these … [Read more...] about Mental illness in the workplace: not just “a case of the Mondays”
Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99)
By Judy Monestime bio Chapter 21 in ICD-10-CM contains codes for factors influencing health status and contact with health services. There are differences in ICD-10-CM from what is currently found in ICD-9-CM. Some categories in Chapter 21 have rephrased titles to better reflect the situations the codes classify. For example, elective, legal, or therapeutic abortions have … [Read more...] about Chapter 21: Factors influencing health status and contact with health services (Z00-Z99)
Dealing with loss as a health care professional
Everyone experiences the loss of a loved one at some point in life, but many health care professionals deal with death every day. Nurses, as well as members of a medical office staff, often become shoulders to cry on and emotional sounding boards for their patients' families, which can make it difficult for them to deal with their own grief in a healthy way. Author, nursing … [Read more...] about Dealing with loss as a health care professional
Positive attitude
Related reading: Three kinds of irritating staffers and how to deal with them amicably Eight rules for managing an office, especially a small one Give a "wake-up call" to these 3 common types of "nightmare staffers" … [Read more...] about Positive attitude
Mundane issues can break your organization
By Steve M. Cohen bio After more than 35 years in what I call "mess management," I've learned that human resources is often a major headache for managers, and sometimes an organization-killing disaster. Employee management can be extremely rewarding. A well-run organization with management and staff invested in their jobs is more than a way to make money—it's a … [Read more...] about Mundane issues can break your organization
Miami medical office manager convicted of Medicare fraud
A former office manager of a Miami-based physical and occupational therapy clinic was convicted, following a four-day trial, for her participation in a scheme that involved the fraudulent submission of more than $3.3 million in false billing to Medicare. Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Shimon Richmond, Special Agent in … [Read more...] about Miami medical office manager convicted of Medicare fraud