Meanwhile, Connecticut physicians who were bounced from Medicare Advantage networks by United Healthcare in the name of high quality and low cost are pursuing arbitration. Medscape Medical News
Tag: Family Medicine/Primary Care
High Court to Hear Case on Medical, Dental Board Powers
The case is about whether a state dental board can stop nondentists from whitening teeth. The AMA fears that medical boards could lose the ability to decide who does what in the exam room. Medscape Medical News
New ACA Insurance Causes Headaches in Some Doctors’ Offices
Sheila Lawless is the office manager at a small rheumatology practice in Wichita Falls, Texas, about two hours outside of Dallas. Kaiser Health News
CMS Vows Flexibility on EHR Hardship Exemptions
Doctors who do not meet stiffer meaningful use requirements in 2014 may be able to avoid a penalty if their software vendor is the problem, but the ICD-10 deadline will not be extended, CMS has said. Medscape Medical News
2015 Cuts for Medicare Advantage Smaller Than Expected
The funding level for next year is being carefully watched by physicians who could find themselves ejected from Medicare Advantage provider networks in the name of cost control. Medscape Medical News
CMS Promises More Thorough Testing of ICD-10 Codes
The ‘end-to-end’ testing sought by organized medicine will show whether Medicare claims incorporating the new and controversial ICD-10 codes actually get paid. Medscape Medical News
Googling Patients: What if Something Bad Turns Up?
Suppose you see online photos showing your patient ignoring health advice or doing dangerous things that could compromise his treatment prospects. Should you change the treatment plan? Medscape Business of Medicine
SGR Bill Rolls Meaningful Use Into New Incentive Program
Medicare bonuses would max out at 12% and penalties at 4% in 2018 under a bipartisan bill that shifts reimbursement from fee-for-service to pay-for-performance. Medscape Medical News
Medicare Doc Pay Change Would Boost Patient Coordination
Expectations are high this year that Congress will finally reach an agreement to overhaul the way Medicare pays doctors for services, scrapping a method that’s been the target of criticism for more than a decade. Kaiser Health News
Medicare Will Reveal Individual Doc Pay Starting Mid-March
CMS said it will respond to requests for payment information on a case-by-case basis. Organized medicine favors transparency in principle, but fears the worst. Medscape Medical News
OIG Wants Medicare to Probe EHR Audit Logs for Fraud
Medicare should tell its various contractors to follow EHR audit trails to see who did what and when to patient charts, the watchdog agency has recommended. Medscape Medical News
Senate Passes 3-Month SGR ‘Doc Fix’
Now that lawmakers have kicked the SGR ‘can’ down the road, attention has shifted to bipartisan legislation that would repeal Medicare’s notorious formula for setting physician compensation. Medscape Medical News
Topol Reviews 2013: A Year of Revolutionizing Medicine
At the end of 2013, the biggest practice changers on the horizon deal with lab tests, personal genomics, doing away with iconic healthcare structures, and digitizing the human body. Medscape
End-of-Year Tax Tips: Act Fast!
There are still actions that doctors can take to lower their tax bite for their 2013 taxes. See if there are any that could help you. Medscape Business of Medicine
Physicians Who Dislike EHRs Cite Lower Productivity
Only 42% of physicians said in a recent survey they were satisfied with their digital charts, and not because they were seeing more patients. Medscape Medical News
Doctors Complain They Will Be Paid Less by Exchange Plans
Many doctors are disturbed they will be paid less — often a lot less — to care for the millions of patients projected to buy coverage through the health law’s new insurance marketplaces. Kaiser Health News
Don’t Freeze Medicare Rates, Docs Tell Congress
A proposal to repeal the SGR formula would freeze Medicare FFS rates for 10 years and phase in pay-for-performance. No, no, no, says organized medicine. It’s time for an FFS rate hike. Medscape Medical News
Report Lists Best Healthcare Apps for Consumers
Clinicians may routinely prescribe such mobile apps to patients, provided some barriers disappear. Medscape Medical News
New Bipartisan Plan to Repeal SGR Faces Tight Schedule
The proposal from Senate Democrats and House Republicans needs to piggyback onto a bigger bill, such as the one a special budget committee wants to produce by December 13. Medscape Medical News
Congress Reopens Government, Averts Default, Eases Doc Fears
The bill approved by contentious lawmakers reboots public health agencies and avoids Medicare and Medicaid payment delays, but it sets the stage for more fiscal standoffs around the corner. Medscape Medical News