As many people are discussing methods to improve healthcare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is giving stakeholders an opportunity to send in their thoughts on this topic.
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Health Reform
Are You Ready for the New Medicare Quality Payment Program? (Part 2): Basics of the MIPS and How to Qualify in 2017
The Medicare incentive programs with which you and your medical practice are familiar will soon be no more. As of January 1, 2017, these programs (including the Electronic Health Records…
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The Switch to ICD-10
The long-anticipated implementation of ICD-10 coding finally began this past Thursday, October 1, 2015. As of that date, government and commercial payors ceased to accept claims under the old coding…
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FTC Sues to Block Hospital Acquisition of Medical Practice
Adding an interesting wrinkle to an already complex environment, the Federal Trade Commission filed a suit this month to block an Idaho hospital from acquiring a physician practice. According to…
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Physician Unions – An Unintended Consequence of Health Reform?
I imagine that few physicians contemplated being part of organized labor when they enrolled in medical school but as more and more physicians make the leap from private practice to…
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Can Concierge Medicine be Affordable for the Masses?
Concierge medical practice…
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Does It Make Financial Sense To Go Into Medicine?
With the emphasis placed on primary care under the federal Affordable Care Act, what will the federal government need to do to entice the best and the brightest to go into primary care?
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FTC Takes Interest in Hospital/Physician Integration
It is apparent from recent enforcement activity that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is keeping a wary eye on physician/hospital integration.
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The Next Health Care Crisis: Not Enough Physicians
As the debate regarding healthcare reform rages on, perhaps too often the blame for rising health care costs is pointed at physicians, and as a result, physician reimbursement has historically…
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“Narrow Network” HMOs — An Emerging Trend Worth Watching
The emergence of narrow network HMO products is a trend worth watching for several reasons: first, it demonstrates that third party payers are aggressively seeking to better manage health care costs and are looking for innovative ways to do so; and, second, it is apparent that as new products are developed, those providers who are integrated (both horizontally and vertically) are most likely to be the players of choice.
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