Newslink v30

Region B Recovery Audit Contractor Posts Sample Demand Letter
CGI, the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) for Region B, recently posted a sample demand letter on its RAC website. The sample demand letter can be found in the article. Region B includes the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and others. To download the letter more, click on visit http://medicareupdate.typepad.com/medicare_update/2009/08/racregionbsampledemandletter.html

More Practices Refusing to Accept Credit Cards From Patients
Increasing transaction fees are cited as a major factor for practices to not accept credit cards. But experts say those fees are still cheaper than issuing paper statements and chasing payments. To find out more, please visit http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/06/22/bil20622.htm  Written by Bob Cook and published by amednews.com.

Expert Financial Advice Impairs Decision Making
New research may provide an explanation why financial fraud happens even when a financial advisor is involved. It seems that the area of the brain that makes decisions slows down when assessing expert counsel. This study serves as a warning for any investor who becomes passive after hiring a financial advisor. To learn about the study, please visit  http://www.hcplive.com/pmdlive/mymoneymd/financial_advice_impairs_decision_making Written by Shirley M. Mueller, MD, and published by Money Digest.

Fraud Alert: Medical Board Certification Offer Targets Physicians
Physicians should be aware of a scam perpetrated through the mail involving the sale of bogus medical board certifications. A fictitious organization is posing as similar sounding board-certifying organizations and requesting a registration fee and an "expedited application form". Caution is being made that this is a fraudulent organization. To learn the names of the organizations in question, please go to  http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/publications/news/news-now/professional-issues/20090817board-cert-scam.printerview.html Written and published by AAFP News Now.

First Impressions Important in Building Long-Term Relationships
Every point of contact at a medical practice is critical to the patient experience. Satisfaction can be measured. Physicians need to seize the opportunity and turn dissatisfied patients into long-term customers. Learn tips and ideas at http://www.hcplive.com/pmdlive/in-depth-for-doctors/first_impression  Written by Ed Rabinowitz and published by Money Digest. 

Newslink v29

CMS Proposes Payment, Policy Changes for Physicians Services to Medicare Beneficiaries in 2010
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced proposed changes to policies and payment rates for services to be furnished during calendar year 2010 by over 1 million physicians and nonphysician practitioners who are paid under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Based on current data, CMS is projecting a rate reduction of -21.5 percent for CY2010. To learn more, click on Proposed Medicare Cuts

Creating an Experience Monopoly
What sets your practice apart from other practices? According to the author, Mark. F. Weiss, JD, it should be an experience monopoly. This substrategy is aimed to position a practice so it is viewed by the hospital administration and by the medical staff as the only conceivable provide of services. To find out more, please visit http://advisorylawgroup.com/experiencemonopoly.html Written by Mark F. Weiss of Advisory Law Group, a Prof. Corp. and originally published on AuntMinnie.com.

Killer Smartphone Apps for the On-the-Go Physician
A growing number of physicians use smartphones - mobile phones that combine online access to information with PDA functionality. Smartphones increase productivity, supplement physicians' knowledge and provide current information. To learn some free or low-cost apps you can use, please visit http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/235750/topic/WS_HLM2_TEC/Killer-Sm. Written by Cynthia Johnson, and published by Health Leaders Media.

Medical Home Pilots Boost Physician Incomes and Image
There are nearly two dozen medical home pilot projects or demonstrations currently underway around the country. One of the elements they all seem to have in common is the opportunity to boost a practice's income. To learn the concept behind the medical home pilots, please go to Medical Home Pilots. Written by Ed Rabinowitz and published by Money Digest.

Is Your Practice Optimized for Online Success?
So your medical practice has a website. But if your practice has a basic website, you could be missing out on a whole world of clients who need your help. You are competing though against medical directories like WebMD, Healthgrades, etc. Learn one of the most effective ways of attracting and keeping an online audience at http://www.physiciansnews.com/is-your-practice-optimized-for-online-success  Written by Steven Fox and published by Physicians News. 

Newslink v28

HHS Makes $75 Million Available to States to Expand Health Insurance Coverage
HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, announced the availability of $75 million to help states expand health insurance access to the uninsured. Grants will be made in two categories. Target grants will be awarded to states with plans to target specific groups of uninsured. Comprehensive grants will be awarded to states for extensive insurance coverage initiatives. To learn more, click on http://newsroom.hrsa.gov/releases/2009/stateaccessmay.htm

Turning Up the HEAT to Stop Medicare and Medicaid Fraud
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) are working together to help eliminate fraud through their joint initiative, Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT). The HEAT Team will expand efforts to stop fraud, and prevent it from happening in the first place. To find out more, please visit http://www.hhs.gov/stopmedicarefraud/

Retirement Blues for Doctors
The devastation in the stock market not only has many doctors postponing their plans for retirement, it also has many retired physicians looking for work. What are your new options if you are caught in this situation? To find out more, please visit http://www.hcplive.com/pmdlive/on-call-today/Retirement-Blues  Written by Michael Sheehan, and published by Money Digest.

Medical Finance Advising No Easy Task for Physicians
According to results of a recent survey conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change, only 48% of physicians say they are comfortable talking about medical budgeting with patients. A key question is, should physicians be more actively involved in the process? http://www.hcplive.com/pmdlive/in-depth-for-doctors/medical_finance To determine the answer, please go to  Written by Ed Rabinowitz and published by Money Digest.

Eavesdrop on Doctors and Medical Students on Twitter
News is broken on Twitter faster than any other medium. Learn the feed to use to follow conversations of doctors and medical students who use Twitter. But is it the best use of your time or a mere distraction. To find out more, please visit http://efficientmd.blogspot.com/ Written by Leigh Ann Hubbard, Managing Editor and published by EfficientMD.com. 

Newslink v27 

CMS Releases 2010 Medicare Advantage Capitated Rate Information
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Announcement of Calendar Year 2010 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Medicare Advantage and Part D Payment Policies. The first estimate of the 2010 national per capita Medicare advantage growth percentage (NPCMAGP) for aged and disabled enrollees is .81%. The NPCMAGP for 2010 is higher than CMS' February 2009 Advance Notice, but much lower than NPCMAGP's for 2008 and 2009.  To learn more, please visit http://medicareupdate.typepad.com/medicare_update/2009/04/medicareadvantage2010rates.html
 
Billions for Health Records Rest on NIST Standards
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, will receive $20 million to develop standards for electronic health records. That standard, health IT researchers say, is the linchpin in making the system work. To learn standards for the systems the national health network will tie together, click on http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090225_4974.php. Written by Bob Brewin and published by nextgov. 

Red Flag Rules on Identity Theft Take Effect Soon
Effective May 1, many physicians will be required under federal law to assist the government in detecting, preventing and mitigating "red flags" of identify theft. Physicians are subject to the red flag rules if they satisfy a two-part test. To find out more, please visit http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/03/30/bica0330.htm. Written by Steven M. Harris and published by amednews.com.
 
Medical Groups Keep an Eye to the Future: Flexible Work Options Create a Competitve Advantage
Medical groups will need to understand the realities of today's workforce and find the best way to maximize the contributions of every physician - at every stage of his or her medical career. Medical groups who keep an eye toward the future will recognize that they can sharpen their competitive edge in finding and keeping physicians. The way to do that can be learned at http://www.physiciansnews.com/medical-groups-keep-an-eye-to-the-future-flexible-work-options-create-a-competitive-advantage/ Written by Lori Schutte, President, Cejka Search and published by the Physician News Digest.   

When Physicians Become Patients: Coping with Stress and Burnout
Clinical investigations have demonstrated that burnout is present and widespread within the medical profession, and most American doctors are significantly overworked. The highest stressors have been excessive workload, increasing overhead, and night and weekend work. To find out how to manage your stress and potential burnout, please visit  http://www.physiciansweekly.com/article.asp?issueid=547&articleid=4937&printable=1 Written by Wesley E. Sime, MPH, PhD and published by Physicians Weekly.

Newslink 26

Summary of President's 2010 Budget
On February 26, 2009, President Obama submitted an outline of his 2010 Budget. Included is a new Healthcare Reform Reserve Fund that will, if approved by Congress, have $634 billion in revenues to be collected and spent over the next 10 years. The money would be reserved to help fund comprehensive health care reform. The funds would come from two sources: New revenue by limiting the tax deductions of "wealthy" individuals and spending cuts in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. To learn more, please visit http://medicareupdate.typepad.com/medicare_update/2009/02/obama2010budget.html

Economic Stimulus Package Includes Incentives for Use of Health Information Technology
The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill), enacted on February 17, 2009, includes the provision of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act). This Act aims to increase healthcare providers’ use of health information technology. To learn about the IT stimulus provision, click on
http://www.hinshawlaw.com/economic-stimulus-package-includes-incentives-for-use-
of-health-information-technology-02-26-2009/. 

Don't Lose Patience (or Patients) Over Rising Delinquencies
The healthcare the industry is suffering from the economy’s woes. The economic downturn is making it harder and harder for all patients (both insured and uninsured) to pay their bills. Patients are putting medical bills at the bottom of their financial priority list. The article offers some options on managing accounts receivable. To find out more, please visit
http://www.physiciansnews.com/don’t-lose-patience-or-patients-over-rising-delinquencies/ 
Written by Lauren A. Irwin-Szostak and published by Physician News.

Ten Reasons To Go On Vacation
The author, Susan Davis, outlines 10 really good reasons to go on vacation. Most of her reasons deal with the positive impact it has on your health. For instance, did you know that men can lower their risk of death from heart disease by 30%? The rest of the list is at http://www.allbusiness.com/medicine-health/
diseases-disorders/11470309-1.html Published by AllBusiness.com. 
 
Framing Stock Market Losses: Staying Head Healthy While Experiencing Monetary Pain
Many of us have lost money with our stock market investments. There are two ways to react: panic or adapt. If you panic, you risk allowing the current situation to snowball into one that will become increasingly difficult to manage. Money stress is no different than any other type of stress we face.  Learn how to frame the situation for yourself at http://www.hcplive.com/pmdlive/mymoneymd/framing_losses
Written by Shirley M. Mueller, MD and published by Money Digest.  

Final 2009 Changes to Payment Policies and Rates Under Medicare Physician Fee Schedule
On October 30, 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule for the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) for calendar year CY 2009. The final rule establishes payment rates and policy changes that will go into effect for services furnished by physicians and non-physician practitioners (NPPs) to people with Medicare on or after January 1, 2009.  To read the fact sheet and payment changes, please visit http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/
factsheet.asp?Counter=3333&intNumPerPage=10&checkDate=&checkKey=&srchType=1&
numDays=3500&srchOpt=0&srchData=&keywordType=All&chkNewsType=6&intPage=&showAll=
&pYear=&year=&desc=&cboOrder=date

New Rule Proposed by HHS Would Create Financial Burden for Healthcare Providers
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) proposed a new rule last August requiring all physician practices and clinical laboratories to use a new coding set (ICD-10) and new HIPAA transactions standards (5010). The implementation of the ICD-10 code set and the 5010 standard together will have a profound impact on these operations - up to $300,000 for a 10-physician practice. To learn about the financial cost to a physician practice, click on http://www.medicalnewsinc.com/news.php?viewStoryPrinter=199. Written by Lynne Jeter and published by Medical News, Inc. 

Asset Allocation: Investing with Discipline
If you're looking for a smart way to reduce investment volatility while still retaining profit potential, consider the advantages of asset allocation. Asset allocation is the process of deciding what percentage of your money to put into the three major asset classes, plus determining your tolerance of financial risk. To find out more, please visit http://physiciansnews.com/finance/1208.html. Written by Cameron Short and published by Physician's News Digest.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Identifies the Top Nine Issues for Health Industries in 2009 Financial Crisis
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) says the health industry will face a plethora of challenges in the year ahead, including how to deal with more underinsured, adapt to new coding and payment methods, and fund new cures in a capital-starved market. The top nine health industry issues in 2009 are listed at http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/node/34825/print  Published by FierceHealthcare. 

Thoughts on Patient-Physician Email
Just about every profession has enthusiastically adopted email as a rapid, non-interrupting, easily documented form of communication -- so why hasn't medicine? There are many reasons. To learn some of them, please click on http://efficientmd.blogspot.com/2008/04/thoughts-on-patient-physician-email.html.  Written by Joshua Schwimmer, MD and published by The Efficient MD.
 

Newslink v23 

Federal 'Red Flag' Identity Theft Rule Suspended
The Federal Trade Commission will suspend enforcement of the new “Red Flags Rule” until May 1, 2009, to give creditors and financial institutions additional time in which to develop and implement written identity theft prevention programs. The suspension does not affect other federal agencies’ enforcement of the original November 1, 2008 deadline for institutions subject to their oversight to be in compliance. The rule applies primarily to financial institutions and other lenders, but many healthcare providers are also subject to its provisions because they fit the broad definition of "creditor". To learn more about the Identity Theft Red Flags and Address Discrepancies Act of 2003, please visit
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2008/10/redflags.shtm 

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act Adds Tax Relief to Financial Rescue Initiative
On October 3, 2008, President Bush signed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (the "Act") which includes over $150 billion in tax relief for businesses and individuals in addition to the much-publicized financial markets rescue package. Businesses and individuals should act now to review their tax planning strategies in order to maximize current-year tax savings before year-end. Read the tax incentives at http://www.cbh.com/bulletin-econ-stabilization.php  Published by Cherry Bekaert & Holland, CPAs and Consultants.   

Palm Trees and Palm Pilots
You can deduct the cost of a business convention held in an exotic locale if the primary purpose is business-related. But you must stay inside "North American areas." To find out more, please visit  http://www.bizactions.com/modules/popup_printarticle.cfm/pr/92794664G612J972792P8P1402T1/type
/100/?x=41&y=2  Published by Biz Actions.

Physician Data Restriction Program (PDRP)
Restricting access to prescribing data should be every physician's choice. The American Medical Association's (AMA) Physician Data Restriction Program (PDRP) puts the choice in doctors' hands. This program will ensure that vital information on prescribing patterns continues to be available for beneficial public health purposes. To find out more about the program, please visit http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/12054.html

Laughter is Often the Best Medicine
A recent study showed that emotional responses ranging from sadness to fear and to happiness have a positive effect on one's health. Some of the theories regarding how one experiences pain suggest that a person can be distracted from pain by other sensations or feelings. Laughter can actually distract from pain. To read how humor can improve your life, please click on http://www.rwjobgyn.org/atoz/centers/sixtyplus/60humor.asp  Written by Michael R. Wasserman, M.D. and published by HealthAtoZ.com.
 

Newslink v22 

Qualified Registries for 2008 PQRI
CMS has posted the list of “qualified” registries that may submit quality measures information on behalf of eligible professionals who seek to earn an incentive payment using registries in 2008. Also available in this article are 2007 PQRI feedback reports, 2009 physician fee schedule notice of proposed rulemaking and new reporting options for 2008, plus more. Get up-to-date at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PQRI/

Newslink v21

New 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payment Rates
The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers act of 2008 was enacted on July 15, 2008. As a result, the mid-year 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rate of -10.6% has been replaced with a 0.5% update, retroactive to July 1, 2008. To learn when MPFS payments are to begin, please link to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/pf/printpage.asp?ref=http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PhysicianFeeSched/01_overview.asp