Healthcare Practice Advisor Blog

This is the place to turn to for physician practice-specific how-to-articles to help you overcome the top challenges you face in medical coding & billing, compliance, credentialing, practice management, HIPAA, and more.

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Get Ready: 1135 Waivers, Licensing Extensions Ending Soon

HHS recently extended the Public Health Emergency (PHE) into January 2021, keeping the 1135 waivers — including licensing requirements — in place, for now. While there is no definitive expiration date for the waivers, one thing is certain — these waivers will end, and if you’re not prepared you could lose your license. 1135 Waivers […]

Published Date: November 16, 2020

Plan Your Holiday Office Party with COVID-19 in Mind

It’s hard to believe less than a year ago your practice was decking the halls, getting ready for your end-of-year holiday party. Little did you know that 2020 would bring an end to crowded banquet hall celebrations packed with people without face coverings. The good news is you CAN still celebrate the holidays and your […]

Published Date: November 13, 2020

CPT 2021: Ace Your Lab, Debridement, and Diabetes Coding Changes

You’ve got to implement the 300 plus CPT 2021 coding changes by January 1, 2021, or you’ll face emotional and financial losses. Save yourself hours of chasing denials and payments by getting up to speed now on the new, revised, and deleted codes for drugs, ortho, diabetes and more. For help on the massive E/M […]

Published Date: November 12, 2020

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) - Shortcut

Relief Funds: Get Up to $2 Million in Economic Injury Disaster Loan

Six months of working capital – up to $2 million dollars − is available to help your practice recover from COVID-19 and other disaster-related economic losses; it’s just waiting for you to claim it. Whether your practice is suffering due to COVID-19, civil unrest, or natural disasters, an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) will speed […]

Published Date: November 4, 2020

Head Off Revenue Losses Due to Shoulder Unbundling Errors

You don’t want to miss billing an allowed shoulder procedure and leave thousands of dollars on the table. But it’s imperative that you avoid shoulder unbundling errors – or your repeated billing of included charges can land you with costly denials, and accusations of abuse or fraud. It’s critical that you know when to legally […]

Published Date: November 2, 2020

Deter PPP Loan Payments by Using Your Customized Deadline

QUESTION: I’m really confused on the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application deadline. I’ve read some advice on waiting to apply to better justify our expenses and keep more of our payments. However, the form indicates that it expires 10/31/2020. Can you explain this difference? Question from San Diego, California subscriber ANSWER: The Small […]

Published Date: October 29, 2020

3 Steps to Require Flu Shots Without Violating Employee Laws

Mandating employees flu shots will land you in a legal mess unless you have the right Federal and state requirements in place. Requiring your staff to receive an infleunza vaccination absolutely reduces illness and absenteeism and protects your patients. And many of your employees will willingly get a flu shot this fall; some may refuse. […]

Published Date: October 28, 2020

Avoid Copying Fees Violation, Pinpoint the Right Medical Records Rule

QUESTION: When a state has a cap on the allowed records copying rate, is there ever a situation that justifies exceeding the maximum allowance? Sometimes, the request for the records is for a long-term patient, so there are a lot of pages to copy. Would this case permit charging more than the allowed max charge […]

Published Date: October 22, 2020

Deceased Patient Records: Stop Fine for Wrongful PHI Access

Your obligation to protect patient privacy doesn’t end when your patient dies — It just gets more complicated. The tricky part is knowing who’s authorized to receive deceased patient medical records because mishandling them will create a financial nightmare for your practice. HIPAA Rule for Deceased Patient Medical Records The HIPAA Privacy Rule states that […]

Published Date: October 21, 2020

5 FAQS Snag More CARES Act Provider Relief Money

The government is throwing you another bone to dig out from all of your pandemic losses and operating expenses. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced an additional $20 billion for provider relief phase 3 funding. But with a short deadline, your chance for securing additional or first-time money is running out! HHS […]

Published Date: October 13, 2020