By Steve M. Cohen bio I've been told I sometimes sound suspicious of government agencies. But consider this: Most state human rights commissions and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) get some of their money to operate from the fines and penalties they issue against employers. Every week, state and federal organizations slap businesses … [Read more...] about Government fines present real threat for medical practices
Managing the office
Is your practice an OIG enforcement target in 2015?
The Office of Inspector General (OIG), which oversees Medicare and Medicaid enforcement, has issued its 2015 Work Plan highlighting the compliance risk areas that it will target in its review and enforcement efforts. You will see some familiar topics, which the OIG also included in last year's plan, such as chiropractic services, place of service reporting, physical therapy, … [Read more...] about Is your practice an OIG enforcement target in 2015?
8 work-saving email tips for busy office managers
Communicating via email saves time. Yes or no? If you're feeling overwhelmed by your inbox, your answer is likely to be no. The sheer volume makes it difficult to manage email which, despite the proliferation of other technologies such as social media and text messaging, continues to invade your electronic workspace daily. Today's office worker sends or receives an average … [Read more...] about 8 work-saving email tips for busy office managers
Medical coder salaries on the rise
Salaries for certified medical coding professionals increased an average of 8.4 percent in 2014, according to an annual salary survey conducted by AAPC, a leading training and credentialing association for healthcare business professionals. Certified medical coder salaries rose to an average of $50,775 annually. Other highlights from the 2014 survey include: … [Read more...] about Medical coder salaries on the rise
A less stressful medical office job
If you have a detail-oriented staff member who is looking for a career change, you might want to groom her or him for a job as a medical records technician. A side benefit of the job is that it has made the List of the 10 Least Stressful Jobs for 2015, as identified by job search career portal CareerCast. In fact, it's No. 4 on the list. CareerCast's Least … [Read more...] about A less stressful medical office job
The demise of sexual harassment: don’t bet on it
By Steve M. Cohen bio With issues such as bullying and workplace violence making the headlines, it might seem as if sexual harassment is no longer a major workplace issue. Don't bet on it. Sexual harassment continues to exist, and it's going to be a major workplace issue for as long as people are people. That's not to excuse insensitive or outright aggressive behavior, but … [Read more...] about The demise of sexual harassment: don’t bet on it
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
HIPAA audits looming and small practices far from compliant
A recent survey on HIPAA compliance within small practices and billing companies, conducted by NueMD, a provider of cloud-based medical practice management software for small practices, and The Daniel Brown Law Group, a firm specializing in health care law, finds medical practices and billing companies are struggling to comply with regulations under the Health Insurance … [Read more...] about HIPAA audits looming and small practices far from compliant
Human rights: the scoop on state and federal monitoring
By Steve M. Cohen bio Office managers can be excused for pulling their hair over government regulations, but here are some you shouldn't overlook. Every state has a human rights commission that is tasked with investigating charges made by employees against their employers in issues of fairness. The federal government has its own human rights commission that … [Read more...] about Human rights: the scoop on state and federal monitoring
Is firing employees for medical marijuana discrimination?
All seven of the courts that have confronted this issue in the past decade have ruled that employers can enforce zero tolerance drug policies to fire employees for lawful use of medical marijuana. Here’s the rundown: 2013: COLORADO (Federal Court) What Happened: Brewery employee with hepatitis C, fired after testing positive for marijuana, claims use was legal under … [Read more...] about Is firing employees for medical marijuana discrimination?