2008 Auto Depreciation Limits
IRS Rules on Vehicle Depreciation and Leasing Economic Stimulus Act The Economic Stimulus Act of increased the Section F luxury auto depreciation limit by , for qualifying vehicles placed in... Read More >
Modernize and stay connected
Some studies estimate that at least of your patients seek alternative healthcare or self-medicate with natural dietary supplements. Make sure your new patient form asks about medications, other physicians specifically... Read More >
Billing for Medically Necessary Visit on Same Occasion as Preventive Medicine Service
When a physician furnishes a Medicare beneficiary a covered visit at the same place and on the same occasion as a noncovered preventive medicine service CPT codes - , consider... Read More >
Traits of an effective manager in a medical practice (or any other business)
I am absolutely passionate about helping medical practice managers become better at nurturing, mentoring, coaching, building relationships and focusing on the people they lead. I see a significant lack of... Read More >
New focus of inquiry into bribes: Doctors
From Healthleaders www.healthleadersmedia.com The long-running federal investigation into the orthopedic device industry s suspected kickback payments to hip and knee surgeons now has been focusing on the many doctors who... Read More >
Life Insurance and Estate Taxes
The following was contributed by my son, Sean Tinsley, who works for AXA Advisors in Austin, Texas sean.tinsley axa-advisors.com An alternative to selling assets to pay for estate taxes is... Read More >
Physician referrals to physician-owned ASCs
This little nugget came from HFMA www.hfma.org does this really surprise you?? Physicians who refer the most patients to physician-owned ambulatory surgical centers ASCs disproportionately send privately insured patients to... Read More >
Analysis of MedPac 2008 report
My good friend, Mark Dietrich, CPA www.cpa.net has provided an excellent summary of Medpac s report the following is the summary from his recent blog post I have been reviewing... Read More >
Patient reminder cards and HIPAA
HIPAA Compliant Appointment Reminders From HcPro s newsletter Briefings on HIPAA Q I send patient reminders for annual examinations and follow-up appointments. Are postcards permissible or does this method disclose... Read More >
Insurers, doctors at odds over concierge care
Here is an article that appeared in my local newspaper, the Houston Chronicle Concierge Medical Practice Consultant Doctors who charge an annual fee to patients in exchange for customized care... Read More >
Tips for supervising
These Tips appeared in the August issue of the Journal of Accountancy They apply to physician practices today just as well as to accounting firms Hire carefully Establish workplace standards... Read More >
Allscripts, Misys Healthcare to form new company
I m sure everyone by now has heard about the Allscripts Mysis combination the announcement below was posted by Modern Healthcare. I m glad to see further consolidation of healthcare... Read More >
Payer mix analysis
As part of your monthly financial reporting and analysis work, you should be looking at payer mix analyses. You should prepare a trended report of both charges and payments. By... Read More >
Opting out of the call schedule
Many group practice agreements are silent on the issue of when a physician can opt out of the call schedule. As such, make sure this issue is addressed in writing... Read More >
New Legislation Aims to Prevent Physician Reimbursement Cuts
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas has introduced legislation to improve healthcare access for Medicare patients by guaranteeing that physicians Medicare reimbursements would not be cut over the next months. The... Read More >
HIPAA and Britney Spears
nbsp The article excerpt below was published at cnn.com today I wonder how many medical offices protect patient files from the peering eyes of their employees? UCLA Medical Center will... Read More >
Be aware of patient privacy when using sign-in sheets
Many practices leave sign-in sheets at the front desk, where patients can easily write their names and just as easily see who else has an appointment. And therein lies the... Read More >
Can a stepparent amend a minor stepchild’s record?
From Briefings on HIPAA It depends on the specific scenario. The child s personal representative is the individual who has authority, under the HIPAA privacy rule, to exercise the child... Read More >
Role of the managing physician
The following is a brief summary of the role of a managing physician in a group practice, who is usually elected for a one or two year term, depending on... Read More >
Help your practice convert to a credit card system
If you put into place a system to accept credit cards, don t assume that your staff already know how to use it. Review with them the following basic steps... Read More >
Doc recruiting getting more creative: AMGA
Medical groups are getting more creative with their efforts to recruit and retain physicians, a new survey found. The use of mentoring programs, part-time work schedules and sabbaticals were found... Read More >
A three-step approach to closing the deal
To offer a physician candidate a position, use the following three-step approach Trial close Begin by asking the candidate outright whether he or she is interested in pursuing this opportunity.... Read More >
Product Watch: The Complete Personnel Toolkit for Practice Administrators
In an easy-to-use binder format, this toolkit walks practice administrators through the many challenges of managing both physicians and staff. Packed with advice gathered from renowned experts in practice management,... Read More >
Medicare civil penalties about to go up
On Feb. , the Senate passed changes that would double civil penalties to , per false Medicare claim and quadruple criminal penalties to , , according to the Congressional Record.... Read More >
HIPAA: Leaving voice messages on patients phone
Q Is it permissible to leave appointment reminders on patients answering machines or voice mail if no one answers the phone? A Leaving messages containing PHI to remind patients of... Read More >
Are you ready for a CMS audit??
Seems the Medicare carriers are starting to conduct chart review audits around the country. The following are excerpts from recent listserv posts Recently we have seen more requests for Medicare... Read More >
Heads up to physicians with luxury autos
Auto Depreciation Limits The Economic Stimulus Act of increased the Section F luxury auto depreciation limit by , for qualifying vehicles placed in service during calendar-year . To reflect this... Read More >
Understanding Medicare Supervision Levels for Diagnostic Tests
Navigating Medicare s rules for diagnostic testing can be challenging, particularly when it comes to understanding physician supervision requirements. For private practices, clarity around these regulations is essential to ensure... Read More >
CMS Identifies $371.5 Million in Overpayments & Underpayments
From Vinson Elkins www.velaw.com On February , , the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services CMS announced that, for fiscal year , . million in improper Medicare payments has been... Read More >
Recent OIG criminal investigations
For a sampling of recent criminal enforcement actions investigated by OIG, go here: http://www.oig.hhs.gov/fraud/enforcement/criminal/08/0108.htm Read More >
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Accounting and Tax Services Litigation Support Managed Care Consulting Managed Care Contract Negotiations Medical Practice and Healthcare Entity Valuation Medical Practice Assessment Medical Practice Brokerage Medical Practice Embezzlement Consulting Medical Practice Management Medical Practice Merger Advice Medical Strategic Planning Newsletter Personal Financial Planning Oversight Physician Compensation Models Physician Compliance Physician Financial Management Services Retirement UncategorizedAbout Reed Tinsley, CPA
As a top advisor to physicians, I help increase practice profits by delivering hands-on, expert medical accounting/tax support, practice counsel, and revenue-building strategies. Read More >
