The passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 includes the addition of a provision that will reduce Medicare reimbursement to physical therapists come April 1, 2013, according to the American Physical Therapy Association. The decline would be slightly offset, but the bottom line is physical therapists will see a reduction in Medicare reimbursement […]
ICD-10: Are You Preparing for the Switch?
The deadline for the transition to ICD-10 is October 1, 2014. While that may seem far away, CMS notes that providers should expect ICD-10 testing to take up to 19 months. Therefore, it’s imperative for practices to be proactive and begin to implement a transition plan (if they haven’t started one already). For practices that […]
What Does The New Healthcare Reform Bring for Physicians?
Nov 5, 2010 – A key impact resulting from the new healthcare reform bill will be increased physician demand. This result will occur around 2014 when coverage is expanded. Medical billing service companies will continue to see growth as practices expand to accommodate this demand. Medicare payment adjustments could be made by the new Independent Payment […]
Payor Mix and Fee Schedule Examination
Nov 5, 2010 – Preventive medicine is an important part of good healthcare. The old saying of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure really does contain truth. Not only should patients be encouraged to follow a good preventive health schedule but it is also important for the practice to follow some sound […]
Data Disaster Preparedness
Nov 5, 2010 – As physician practices have embraced moving toward EMR (electronic medical record), a lot of resources have and will be spent on choosing the best system to meet the practice needs and to qualify for the Federal Stimulus dollars for meaningful use EHR (electronic health record) implementation. Do you have a plan, process […]
Red Flag Rule Deadline Postponed
Mar 7, 2011 – The Federal Trade Commission has once again pushed back the deadline for compliance of the Red Flags Rule until December 31, 2010. In Nov. 2007, the Federal Trade Commission issued a set of regulations, known as the “Red Flags Rule,” requiring the implementation of written identity theft prevention and detection programs to […]
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for HIPAA Privacy Released Yesterday by OCR
Mar 14, 2011 – Yesterday a notice of proposed rule making was released by the Office for Civil Right on modifications to security rules and HIPAA privacy required by the HITECH Act. The official publication will appear on July 14, 2010 in the Federal Register. Several additions and modifications are addressed for subtitle D of the […]
Medicare EHR Incentive Payments: Registration Now Open!
Mar 21, 2011 – According to US department of Health and Human Services registration for the Medicare EHR Incentive Program is open as of the 4th of January 2011 and the program itself will continue through 2016. You can register prior to implementing a certified EHR or regardless of your PECOS enrollment status. To qualify […]
Medical Billing – Physicians Options
Mar 28, 2011 – It’s no secret that the healthcare is inundated with paperwork. Many medical professionals claim they spend more time filling out forms than actually treating patients. A large portion of the endless pile of paperwork is related to coding, submitting and processing medical claims related to physician or medical billing. With no […]
Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period – Until 14th February Instead of 31st March
Apr 10, 2011 – According to Medicare.gov, recipients currently electing Medicare Advantage Plan, who wish to change, must do so by February 14th. The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period runs from 1st January, 2011 until 14th February, 2011 instead of 31st March. According to Medicare, the change in deadline was intended to create one clear enrollment period. […]