MGMA

The Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program is picking up steam, and practices should be prepared for an appeals process. Healthcare attorney Andrew Wachler walks through what you need to know about the appeals process.

Are you ready for the ICD-10 coding transition? Probably not, and although the deadline is years away, practices should be acting now to prepare. Two experts at this year's MGMA annual conference offer specific steps practices should take now, from setting a budget to contacting vendors.

The state of healthcare IT in the U.S. is grossly behind other developed countries. But that's changing quickly. The landscape is transforming and will soon look nearly unrecognizable as new technologies emerge. A major force behind the change is the Internet, which is a growing source for patient education, patient and physician networking, and data sharing and utilization.

Healthcare attorney Bruce Johnson and administrator Jim Gangelhoff discuss the various models of hospital-physician alignment and integration, the compliance issues each presents, and physician compensation methods and incentive structures that work.

Many physicians hope that by selling their practices to hospitals, they can withdraw from its operations and “just be doctors.” Not so, says expert Marc Halley. For physician-hospital partnerships to succeed, doctors must remain engaged leaders, not just employed “technicians.”

Patient-centered medical home pilot programs are being conducted across the nation with the goal of providing comprehensive primary care through partnerships. Practices considering embracing part of this collaboration have many factors to consider as to whether they fit into the concept, but strong practice management is key, according to one consulting firm.

In her MGMA session on the internal checks and balances practices should implement to prevent fraud and embezzlement, Susan F. Childs noted that 75 percent of businesses have a risk of theft or embezzlement. Is your practice at risk? Find out how to assess your practice procedures and prevent theft in your practice.

David Blumenthal, MD, MPP, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, sat down with Physicians Practice at the MGMA 2010 annual conference to explain the overall goal of the EHR transition and the status of clarifications of the criteria.

Thinking of selling your practice and getting a job with a hospital? Here's some advice for doing it right from experts who negotiate the deals.

Practices might not be forced to sell out to hospitals, but they will need an alignment strategy, argues expert Marc Halley, MBA, because physician-hospital alignment is here to stay. Here's advice on picking the right partner.

What do we want from our leaders and on what criteria do we judge strong leadership? These are the questions Malcolm Gladwell explored in the opening session of the MGMA 2010 annual conference Sunday night.

Healthcare reform has passed, and many provisions are being implemented. But future milestones in the legislation are still very much up in the air. So what should you be doing now? And what will happen to the reform after the November elections? Two MGMA experts offer some guidance.

In his MGMA session “Managing Physician Relations for Retention,” Kenneth T. Hertz outlines the importance of maintaining good physician relations for running a productive practice, retaining physicians, and recruiting new doctors, and what the administrator's role is in facillitating physician communication and satisfaction.

Panelists from the "Perspectives on Healthcare Reform" general session at MGMA 2010 discuss their concerns about the Affordable Care Act, accountable care organizations, and the Medicare sustained growth rate (SGR) formula.

Everywhere you turn, there seems to be another EHR vendor offering you the perfect solution to your practice's problems. But how do you shop for the right product with so many options promising everything under the sun?

Doctors don't always get along with each other. Some might avoid contact with other physicians, or speak negatively about a colleague in front of a patient. This kind of behavior can directly compromise patient care.

Workplace negativity can drag down a practice and its staff, hurting both patient care and the bottom line. So what can you do to boost staff morale and encourage teamwork at your office?

Nearly every physician today is looking for ways to boost efficiency and productivity to stay profitable. So how do you achieve this goal without adding staff or compromising your patient satisfaction?

Negotiating rates with your payers is important, but so is the language in your contracts. Practices can face a number of possibly adverse provisions that could contradict practice policies and cause confusion with patients. But how do you discover and address such provisions?

Are you confused about EHR certification? You're not alone. To receive federal incentive payments for your EHR, you must show that you are using a certified technology in a meaningful way. But what does that really mean - certified technology?

This year's annual MGMA conference comes at a particularly unnerving time for many practices, as they face uncertainty about federal reimbursement and complex EHR requirements. The annual conference of the medical practice association is being held in New Orleans October 24 to 27, and will cover a wide range of topics from health reform to ICD-10.

The Physicians Practice team will be covering the 2010 MGMA Annual Conference in the Big Easy October 24 through October 27. We'll be posting podcasts, videos, and articles, all keeping you up-to-date on the latest sessions, speakers, news, and practice management advice.