Medical Office Manager

Health care reform

CMS Medicare physician fee schedule for 2015 Final Rule released

The Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule was published November 13, 2014. It provides not only new payment rates but also changes to Medicare payment policies. Here is a summary of some changes that could affect your medical office. Telehealth services. Specific telehealth services must be included in the list of Medicare telehealth services and meet other conditions for … [Read more...] about CMS Medicare physician fee schedule for 2015 Final Rule released

Start local managers group to make job easier

"It doesn't matter if there are three people or five or 20," says the manager of an internal specialty medical office in Tennessee. It's worth the effort to set up a local management group. She did that in her area years ago and still finds it useful. The setup was not difficult. It was just a matter of calling the other managers and saying, "Why don't we get together and … [Read more...] about Start local managers group to make job easier

Are your patients happy? Here’s how to find out

Monitoring the pulse of patient satisfaction is crucial to the health of your practice. Indeed, patient satisfaction can mean the difference between a thriving, profitable practice and one that’s barely breaking even. And since patients have a significant effect on the work environment, their satisfaction impacts your staff’s morale. In order to accurately … [Read more...] about Are your patients happy? Here’s how to find out

Is your practice eligible for Medicaid incentive payments?

Certain professionals can alternatively pursue meaningful use incentive payments from the Medicaid program, which is run by the state Medicaid agencies. Eligible professionals for Medicaid include doctors of medicine and osteopathy, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, dentists, and physician assistants in a federally qualified health center or rural health clinic led … [Read more...] about Is your practice eligible for Medicaid incentive payments?

How the right payment technology can improve profitability at your practice

By Brent Warrington  bio Medical practice profitability is a regular concern for practice managers. Now the Affordable Care Act has perhaps shined a brighter light on what it takes to stay in the black. What's more, insurance companies are under pressure to manage costs and grow revenue, sometimes resulting in lower payments to physicians for patient visits, services, … [Read more...] about How the right payment technology can improve profitability at your practice

CQM reporting and HIPAA

One reader questioned whether reporting CQMs using the Physician Quality Reporting System and reporting patient level data in the Quality Reporting Data Architecture (QRDA) format would require sending protected health information to CMS in violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The QRDA format does require some identifying information. However, Paula Stannard, a health care … [Read more...] about CQM reporting and HIPAA

‘Meaningful use’ can safeguard big money for your practice

Have you been participating in Medicare's or Medicaid's electronic health records incentive program? If not, you are leaving money on the table—or in the government's bank. Incentive payments still available could total up to $24,000. But that's not all you're missing by not achieving meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology (CEHRT). "Starting in … [Read more...] about ‘Meaningful use’ can safeguard big money for your practice

How the new OIG 2014 Work Plan affects your medical office

The OIG, Office of Inspector General, oversees Medicare and Medicaid enforcement and highlights areas of focus in its enforcement efforts in a Work Plan. The 2014 Work Plan was released at the end of January and contains some items of note for medical practices. Some items are new and others have been on the OIG Work Plan in prior years and are a continuing project. The … [Read more...] about How the new OIG 2014 Work Plan affects your medical office