PHE Expired May 11: Get Up to Speed on New Telehealth Billing Rules LEARN MORE

Access All Live + All On-Demand Online Trainings for 1 Year! SAVE $300 NOW - LEARN MORE

Compliance

Compliance

Patient referrals

3 Ways to Spot Potentially High-Risk Patient Referrals

The government maintains a very broad definition of “referrals,” which means practices have to work harder than ever to avoid Anti-Kickback law violations. Every time you refer a patient somewhere, you’ve got to have your eye on whether it’s a compliant referral to avoid accusations of wrongdoing. One way to stay on the straight and […]
Published Date: May 31, 2023
Read More
stark law

Discover How the PHE’s End Will Impact the Stark Law

The end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is now behind us, and the discontinuation of certain PHE policies spans far beyond COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. In fact, the PHE’s end also has compliance considerations that every practice must know. Among these are vast changes to the Stark law and the ending of blanket […]
Published Date: May 17, 2023
Read More
Information blocking

5 Examples Help You Master Information Blocking Violations

If your practice isn’t familiar with the federal 21st Century Cures Act—also called the information blocking rule—then you could be at risk of violating this law. In essence, your practice must make electronic health information available to patients and others securely and swiftly, at no cost. Practices that prevent patient access may implicate the information […]
Published Date: May 10, 2023
Read More
encryption

To Encrypt or Not to Encrypt: Know the Encryption Pros and Cons

Encrypting your medical records, communications and documents can add a deeper layer of security to the protected health information (PHI) that you share and store. When you encrypt data, you’re obscuring it from unauthorized users, making it less likely to be seen by others. If you’re thinking of launching an encryption policy at your practice, […]
Published Date: April 26, 2023
Read More
Administrative fee

5 Administrative Fees Your Practice Could Charge to Earn More

Perhaps your practice has had success charging for no-shows or sports physical form completions—or maybe you’re just starting to investigate which administrative fees you might explore. Either way, there are many factors to consider if you’re thinking of charging administrative fees, but before you dot your I’s and cross your T’s, you might want to […]
Published Date: April 18, 2023
Read More
Recovery audit contractors

Prepare for Your RAC Audit With 7 Time-Tested Tips

When a recovery audit contractor (RAC) decides to audit your practice, you must cooperate, or you can be excluded from Medicare or cut off from reimbursement. It’s also important not to panic. As long as you have a RAC preparation strategy, your audit should go smoothly. Get ready for recovery audit contractors with these seven […]
Published Date: April 10, 2023
Read More
Medicaid audit

OIG Outlines the Biggest Medicaid Audit Findings of 2022

If you were curious about whether the OIG had stepped up Medicaid audits as the pandemic’s effects began to wane, it’s time to stop wondering. The agency finalized 1,327 convictions last year, recovering $1.1 billion during 2022. And even though many practices equate audits solely with Medicare, the latest OIG report confirms the fact that […]
Published Date: March 28, 2023
Read More
Respond to subpoena

How to Negotiate for More Time When Responding to Subpoenas

If your practice receives a subpoena for records and documents, it can spark immediate fear—not only because it’s always stressful to deal with legal issues, but also because the clock is ticking to respond to the subpoena on time. Fortunately, the person sending the subpoena understands that you’re busy, and may allow extra time to […]
Published Date: March 8, 2023
Read More
Medical front desk

5 Regulatory Issues Every Front Desk Staff Member Must Master

Being at the front desk of a medical practice can sometimes feel like you’re running interference at an air traffic control station. From working with insurers to calming frustrated patients, the job can be all-encompassing. One area that some medical front desk staffers may not have time to focus on is unfortunately one of the […]
Published Date: February 7, 2023
Read More
Prompt pay discount

When Prompt Pay Discounts Are OK (and When They’re Not)

As patients grow increasingly savvy about researching healthcare prices, they’re more likely to ask practices for discounts that apply to anything from office visits and radiology services to surgeries and dental procedures. As many practices are aware, not all discounts are created equal—some are legal, while others are not. Fortunately, prompt pay discounts are allowable […]
Published Date: January 25, 2023
Read More