Telemedicine and Medicare Advantage
Telemedicine and Medicare Advantage Telemedicine will be part of the Medicare Advantage package in 2020. The number of telemedicine companies is increasing rapidly, even as the industry consolidates. They hope to establish themselves and then be bought up in the telemedicine frenzy that’s upon us. These companies will push their cost-savings even as they reach […]
Sunday Update
This week, we have a roundup of the initial reaction to the 2019 Medicare Payment changes. As you might expect, the stakeholders are squealing—all except for my fellow medical coders. And it’s the coders who are most likely to lose their jobs over these changes. So, if you work with one, be especially nice to […]
Saturday Quiz
Designed to enlighten and amaze. Can you get the right answer? You have an otherwise healthy patient living at home that simply won’t come in for their annual visit. Which of the following is appropriate to get that annual visit done? A. Do a house call. B. Offer to pay their co-pay. C. […]
Your First Step Off the Treadmill
Your First Step Off the Treadmill Dr. Bryce asks, “You talk a lot about jobs and young doctors coming out of residency. What about someone who’s been through a couple of cycles of employment contracts and is thinking of doing something else? What advice do you have for us?” Read the book Transitions by William […]
Telemedicine and Medicare Advantage
Telemedicine and Medicare Advantage Telemedicine will be part of the Medicare Advantage package in 2020. The number of telemedicine companies is increasing rapidly, even as the industry consolidates. They hope to establish themselves and then be bought up in the telemedicine frenzy that’s upon us. These companies will push their cost-savings even as they reach […]
Beware of Strangers Bearing Gifts
When someone offers you something of value in exchange for having Medicare cover something in your name—you know it’s more than likely that they’re a crook. Every January I would have at least a dozen patients call the office in tears. They had changed their Medicare Advantage insurance to another carrier—usually with a “free gift” […]
Rigged Markets Create Shortages
One morning recently, I opened my mail and there they were. Twenty-one employment offers for general medicine services in my area. They were all pretty similar in compensation and work responsibilities. If you’ve made yourself available for recruitment, you know that twenty-one in one day is not unusual, but I figured I’d take the opportunity […]
The Bigger the Consultant Firm, the Less Value They Generate
The Bigger the Consultant Firm, the Less Value They Generate It was 1998 and my partners and I were looking to merge with another similar size group as our next growth step. There were some sticky issues and personalities. We all agreed to contribute to the hiring of a consultant to help grease the wheels […]
Sunday Update
Keeping up with the latest trends so you can look smart with little effort. It’s what I do. Medical coding going global Medical coding is a luxury item in populations where the risks to health are acute, like malaria. Once those risk transition to chronic conditions, then you have the time to devote […]
Saturday Quiz
Designed to enlighten and enthrall Can you get the right answer? How often are Medicare Advantage diagnostic risk codes reset back to zero? A. one month B. six months C. one year D. two years E. they are never reset, once a diagnostic risk code is sent to CMS, it’s there permanently. […]