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Practice Management Alert

Compliance:
Prioritize Website Accessibility to Help Patients and Avoid Litigation
Remember: Doctors' offices are considered public accommodations under Title III of the ADA... Read more
Clip and Save:
Make These Website Changes ASAP
Think of usability as both a science and an art. Professional website designers can maxim... Read more
Documentation:
Pocket These 3 Documentation Cs
Don't forget that documentation also tells a patient's story. Clinical documentation is a... Read more
Technology:
Don’t Worry About CAC Taking Your Coding Job
Hint: Help providers understand how more specific documentation will save everyone time. ... Read more
Reader Questions:
See Why PAs Don’t Like ‘AAP’ Umbrella
Question: I work at a sizable practice and one of our physician assistants (PAs) comp... Read more
Reader Questions:
Note This HIPAA Expiration Technicality
Question: I've noticed that our patient forms pertaining to the Health Insurance Port... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Sleep on Medical Record Reviews
Question: How concerned should we be about medical record reviews by the Centers for ... Read more
COVID-19:
Focus on These 3 Areas to Navigate Telehealth Post-PHE
If you've been leaning on telehealth, know what you need to do to remain compliant. COVID... Read more
Knowledge Check:
Consider These 5 Hiring Scenarios to Avoid Trouble with the IRS
Explore the differences between an employee and an independent contractor. Practices some... Read more
Billing:
Push Pause on Substantive Portion Determinations
Find out when CMS now plans to implement this aspect of split/shared billing. Practices h... Read more
HR Corner:
Avoid Some Basic Tax Headaches for Your Office and Your Workers
Hint: If dress code is involved, you're talking employee, not contractor. How did you far... Read more
Reader Question:
Distinguish ‘Recommended’ From ‘Required’ for Mask Guidance
Question: Is there any kind of national or state requirement about masks in healthcare set... Read more
Reader Question:
Know That 60 Days Is the Limit for Medicare Overpayment
Question: If we realize we've received overpayments from CMS, what are the rules for retur... Read more
Reader Question:
Reach Out to MACs for Some NCCI Questions
Question: Which agency is most appropriate to contact if I have questions about an appeal ... Read more
Protocols and Procedures:
Find Out How to Boost Insurance Verification Efficiency
No surprise: Managing the details is everything. You know that pursuing reimbursement for... Read more
Clip and Save:
Follow These 9 Tips When Determining Patient Eligibility
Hint: Make sure you check whether the plan is active. Pocket these tips to make patient i... Read more
MIPS:
Be Prepared for What’s Coming Down the Pike With MIPS
Breathe a bit more freely with CMS' acknowledgment of COVID's impact on providers. The C... Read more
Coding:
Challenge Your Coding Workflow Beliefs
Hint: Downcoding can lead to allegations of fraud. If your practice's claim acceptance ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Supercharge Your Sequela Know-How
Question: How do I determine whether a condition is considered sequela? How do I app... Read more
Reader Questions:
Beware of Passing Costs on to Patients
Question: We use an answering service that charges us a fee per call. Is it OK for us... Read more
Reader Questions:
Pay Attention to Voicemail Salutations
Question: Today my colleague called someone to report their COVID test results, left... Read more
Emergency Preparedness:
Understand Significance of Psychological First Aid
If you pursue training for your staff, focus on connection. Survivors of a gun violence i... Read more
Coding Updates:
Explore New Options for Recording Social Determinants of Health
Look to expanded Z code options to capture social circumstances. With the 2023 ICD-10-CM... Read more
Technology:
AI May be the Future for EHR Ease
Plus, researchers are seeing how the technology can reduce other practice burdens. Patien... Read more
Reader Questions:
Pocket This Advice for Off-Hours Encounters
Question: I work at a family practice, and the doctor has come across CPT® codes 990... Read more
Reader Questions:
Paint Patient’s Health Picture With Included Diagnoses
Question: We find the Medicare billing process a bit confusing and aren't sure what t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Navigate This Specialized Insurance With These Tips
Question: What are any best practices for minimizing denials from Tricare? North Car... Read more
Emergency Preparedness:
Make Employee Designations for Gun Violence Emergency Now
Plan and train now. If your healthcare facility ever experiences gun violence, your emplo... Read more
Billing:
Navigate Locum Tenens With Confidence
Hint: Look for the new name, fee for time compensation. With burnout at a high and mont... Read more
HR Corner:
Know Your Legal Responsibilities Surrounding Employee Speech on Hot-Button Issues
Private or public status may affect how your employees can communicate about their opinio... Read more
Reader Questions:
Determine Whether Shared Service Billing is ‘Technically True’ Versus ‘True in Practice’
Question: The doctor and the nurse practitioner (NP) both saw a patient during a foll... Read more
Reader Questions:
Use This Code for Long COVID
Question: Which ICD-10 code(s) do I use to describe a patient who has “long COVIDâ€... Read more
Reader Questions:
Nail Down Your Data Breach Policy if Using RPMs
Question: Our practice is exploring providing remote patient monitoring (RPM) devices... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look For Your 2021 MIPS Score Now
Question: When are the 2021 MIPS final scores available to view? Washington, D.C. Su... Read more
Emergency Preparedness:
Medical Offices Aren’t Immune to Active Shooter Scenarios
The recent mass shooting in a Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital underscores the need to be prepare... Read more
Coding Corner:
Don’t Leave E/M Service Dollars on the Table
If you're not capturing behind-the-scenes work, you're missing out. Coding the face-to-... Read more
Compliance:
Beware These No-Nos to Remain Compliant With HIPAA
Hint: Don't reveal PHI in response to a poor Google review. General compliance issues pla... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look to UB-04 for Information Targeted in Medical Record Reviews
Question: Do I need to worry about medical record reviews by the Centers for Medicare... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Underestimate This Dangerous Malware
Question: What is emotet? South Dakota Subscriber Answer: Emotet is considered... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know That the PHE Continues
Question: Does the public health emergency (PHE) related to the COVID-19 pandemic st... Read more
Billing:
Set Yourself Up for Success to Negotiate Payer Contracts
Carriers are making more money than ever, and now's the time to ask for a raise. If you ... Read more
Claims and Denials:
Clean Up Your Claims With These Expert Tips
Add these checklists to your resource repertoire. Are you ever shaking your head while lo... Read more
Back to Basics:
Keep Remote Staff Up to Date with a Shared Drive
Organize information resources so they're accessible to staff, regardless of their locati... Read more
Reader Questions:
Rely on Data When Making Scheduling Decisions
Question: We've been having trouble figuring out how many people to schedule. We're n... Read more
Reader Questions:
Follow the Time Rules for Prolonged Services
Question: Our provider performed an office evaluation and management (E/M) service fo... Read more
Reader Questions:
Include These Aspects of a Patient’s Health Conditions on Claims
Question: We are a little confused about what to include on our claims pertaining to ... Read more
Billing:
Uncover These Shared Billing Truths
Find out what an expert says about some shared billing FAQs. Maryann Palmeter, CPC, CPCO... Read more
Knowledge Boost:
Become Comfortable With These Terms
Understanding ‘substantive portion' is key to billing some E/M services correctly. Begi... Read more
CMS Updates:
Make These Choices With Telehealth in Latest PHE Extension
Some of the perks may remain even beyond the PHE. Many practices have utilized the loos... Read more
Best Practices:
Confront Conflicts Head On
Mastering conflict resolution can make a huge difference in your workplace culture. Prac... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look at All Claims, Not Just a Percentage
Question: Would it be more efficient, in terms of time and money, to review a percentage o... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Rely on COVID Comorbidities to Boost E/M Level
Question: Our office sees a lot of patients with multiple comorbidities, and many of these... Read more
Reader Questions:
When Dealing with No-Shows, Look to the Funding Rather Than the Label
Question: Our practice sometimes sees patients as part of an agreement with our county's d... Read more
Billing:
Find Clarity in Surprise Billing Regulations
The NSA may be a headache for physicians. If you're confused about your obligations as a... Read more
Communication:
Hone These Communication Skills to Showcase Your Aptitude
Whether you're talking with clients, patients, or the C-Suite, build trust with confidence... Read more
Documentation:
Shore Up Your EHR Accuracy With These Tips
Rely on NCQA guidelines for concrete examples on what to do. Maintaining accurate medical... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look to Payer for Definition for This Phrase
Question: We have several nurse practitioners in our office who perform minor procedu... Read more
Reader Questions:
Remember This Telehealth Billing Option During PHE
Question: Even though the restrictions and mandates are being dropped across the coun... Read more
Reader Questions:
Pocket This Global Period Definition Resource
Question: Our practice accepts Medicare, as well as several commercial carriers, and ... Read more
Good Management:
Continual Onboarding Sinking Your Practice’s Ship? Try These Interview Hacks
Organizing your interview process around these strategies can save you money. Has your p... Read more
Management Bonus:
Want to Test an Applicants’ Skills? Keep These Strategies in Mind
Don't land flatfooted with a new hire who's not prepared to do the job. When you're hirin... Read more
Clip and Save:
Don’t Use These Abbreviations on Patients’ Records
Avoid these shortcuts or you may muddle the waters. Electronic health records (EHRs) are ... Read more
HIPAA:
Abide by HIPAA Privacy Rule Right of Access
Some organizations are paying the price for noncompliance; make sure you're not next. Do... Read more
Reader Questions:
Utilize These Options for COVID-19 Vaccination Status
Question: Is there a way to officially document someone's vaccination status? Some of our ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Nail Down Locum Services Rules During PHE
Question: What's a good resource that gives some kind of answer as to how long you ca... Read more
Reader Questions:
Ensure Your Patient Condition List is Inclusive
Question: When preparing a claim, should you enter the diagnosis code only for the co... Read more
Telehealth:
Take Note Now of These OIG Work Plans Surrounding Telehealth
Add ‘telefraud' to your compliance lingo dictionary. Telehealth expansion grew at such... Read more
Administration:
Why a Virtual Scribe May Work for Your Practice
Weigh the pros of thorough documentation against potential exposure or patient embarrassm... Read more
Audits:
Shore Up Your E/M Coding With These Best Practices
Bonus: Your reimbursement may get a boost, too. Evaluation and management (E/M) service ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Worry About Vaccine Brand Name
Question: I am looking for a CPT® code for the Fluarix flu shot but can only fi... Read more
Reader Questions:
Prepopulating Encounter Notes Is Always a No-No
Question: One of the certified medical assistants (CMAs) at my practice sometimes hel... Read more
Reader Questions:
Use This Simple Note to Boost Evidence of MDM
Question: The providers I work with frequently refill patients' medications. I'll se... Read more
COVID-19:
Stay on Top of Vaccination Compliance
Make sure your organization stays on legal footing with vaccination mandates. Are you man... Read more
Administration:
Follow These Tips for Credentialing Providers
First question: Is credentialing worth the effort and cost, business-wise? Hiring new cl... Read more
Audit:
Leave no Stone Unturned — Within Defined Scope
And never forget to ask this simple question up front. Auditing your organization isn't i... Read more
Reader Questions:
Beware Timely Filing Requirements
Question: At our practice, we are very careful to submit our Medicare fee-for-service... Read more
Reader Questions:
Templates Are Your Friend
Question: How do I make sure my front desk staff accurately record a referring physic... Read more
Reader Questions:
Depend on Date of Service
Question: I have some patients whose diagnoses use codes that received updates on Oct. 1. ... Read more
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