Tell Your Patient “I’ve Got You Covered.”
A lot of times patients are just calling for a note because their supervisor told them to. These calls are easy. Start them off right away by telling them “I’ve got you covered.” The chances that you’re not going to give them a note are very low. Once they know […]
Personal Care Benefits in Medicare Advantage
Starting next year, some Medicare Advantage plans will offer home care services such as housecleaning and personal care like showering and even personal shopping. Expect those services to be heavily advertised. Be careful. There’s a lot of overpromising going on. Most people won’t qualify except for the very ill and infirm. […]
Non-Competes
Non-competes in your employment contract should be around 1 year and 15 miles from you primary work site. Nothing else matters, nothing else will do. Non-competes are tricky. A contract that runs contrary to what the court determines is the public interest is not enforceable. And the courts have determined […]
Downside Risk Coming to Organizations—But This Time, It’s Actually Happening!
The recent AMGA” Payer’s Survey” revealed that 20% of health systems expect to be forced to take downside financial risk in the next two year, up from 3% in the last survey. Downside risk is nothing to mess with. If you execute it poorly, the costs will be dear—maybe even your job. […]
Sunday Links
Keeping you up to date, one Sunday at a time Very Important: This is an excellent review of the evolution of Home Health payment models and how everything is evolving towards a single system—including Medicare Advantage. Considering that home health is going to be a burgeoning cost center beginning in 2020, this is […]
Saturday Q and A
Dr. Holly asks The only patients who sign up on my Medicare Advantage panel are the sickest ones. What should I do? Prosper. The sicker the patient, the more value your expertise will generate. Every sick patient is an opportunity to ply your trade. The difference is, under […]
Educate Your Nurse Practitioner
Educate your nurse practitioner in the workings of your Medicare Advantage contract. They’re there to help you and are anxious to please. I shouldn’t have to say this, but it’s amazing how few physicians take this simple step. Buy ’em lunch, go through the mechanics and give them three simple things […]
Telemedicine is Competing With Your Day Job
More employed clinicians are moonlighting in telemedicine. Employers are trying to unilaterally amend non-competes to prevent them They usually can’t do this unless you agree. If they try to slip one by you, use it as an opportunity to ask for more money. You can’t usually negotiate with your employer […]
Big Medigap Changes Coming
There are some big changes in Medigap policies coming in 2020. And yes, they’re designed to drive people into Medicare Advantage plans. Here is an excellent, easy to understand summary. My recommendation? Visit your insurance home now to review the changes. Judging from the degree of the changes, within a […]
“Down-Side Risk” is Coming for You
Every year the American Medical Group Association asks it’s members what they expect from their payers. This year 20% said they expected to be forced to accept insurance contracts which contain “down-side” risk in the next two years. This is up from 3% from the survey taken last May. “Down-side risk” […]