In this letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, MGMA President and CEO William F. Jessee, MD, comments on the proposed changes to the Stark physician self referral and hospital acquired conditions regulations noticed as part of the proposed IPPS rule for FY 2009. In the letter, Jessee suggests that it is time for "all concerned to step back and re-examine some structural aspects of the rules that add complexity for group practices." Jessee further notes that as the Stark regulations have evolved over time, "they have become ever more complex to the point where they are now virtually incomprehensible to the average physician or group practice administrator."
Blogger and primary care physician "Dr. Rob" writes about being the boss of a medical practice. In this post, he offers tips on how to keep a practice financially successful while keeping staff happy.
The U.S. could face a shortage of up to 44,000 family physicians and general internists by 2025, according to a University of Missouri study. The trend is due to a skewed compensation system that rewards specialists increasingly more than primary care practitioners, researchers said. They were more optimistic about the future supply of general pediatricians, however.
After going above and beyond to help a patient who suffered a complication from dental work, Jim Eichel, MD, was almost named in a lawsuit against the dentist, despite the objections from the patient. Although the patient ultimately decided to not go through with the suit, this article speaks volumes about the malpractice climate and the toll the process takes on physicians.
According to a June 11 announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, doctors will have to reconcile their National Provider Identifiers data with their IRS legal name data in order to get paid. Every aspect of the data must match, including the exact spelling of names, the use of initials and even blank spaces in the data. The slightest discrepancy could send Medicare claims back to the drawing board, say billing experts.
Northland Long Term Acute Care Hospital is now open, the result of joint project of Liberty Hospital, North Kansas City Hospital and the St. Louis-based RehabCare Group. The facility provides extended, round-the-clock care for patients such as those needing intravenous fluids or medicines, breathing equipment or frequent treatment of wounds. It also will provide services such as radiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy and speech pathology.