Reimbursement formula has “outlived its usefulness”

Peter Pollack

Call for change requires greater physician involvement In an affable and fast-paced conversation, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson and former Senator William W. Bradley discussed a wide variety of political topics during the 2009 Annual Meeting educational event sponsored by the Orthopaedic Political Action Committee (PAC). Moderated by Stuart L.

Is your practice audit ready?

Mary LeGrand, RN, MA, CCS-P, CPC

The OIG 2009 Work Plan is taking a close look at coding There’s nothing secret about what the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services is planning. It’s all laid out in the OIG Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2009. The following provisions on this year’s agenda (shown in italics) have applicability to orthopaedic practices.

Personal health records: The patient’s EMR

Toya M. Sledd, MPH, MBA

Consumers are keeping track of their own medical records When you hear the words “Microsoft” or “Google,” you may think of Bill Gates, personal computers, and Web search engines—not health care. But now these companies are joining health insurers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, and WellPoint in offering personal health records (PHRs) to consumers and beneficiaries.

How to avoid a “staff infection”

Jackie Ryan, MPA

7 steps to better morale Low morale spreads quickly and is highly contagious. No one is immune. Left unchecked, poor morale can poison an entire practice, leading to a “staff infection.” Low morale is destructive to a physician office because it leads to an entire set of issues hazardous to quality patient care. For example, a byproduct of low morale is that attention to detail slips.

“Red Flag” enforcement begins May 1

Marty Krawczyk

Will your practice be in compliance? Last fall, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) delayed enforcement of the “Identity Theft Red Flag Rule” (the Rule) from November 1, 2008, until May 1, 2009, to give industries and professionals—such as physicians and other healthcare providers—who were unaware of their responsibilities time to comply. That deadline is just days away, and compliance is mandatory.

It’s all about your livelihood

Mary Ann Porucznik

Practice management symposium focuses on the bottom line “The AAOS aims to have a positive impact on the quality of practice life,” said Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD, in his opening remarks at the Practice Management Symposium for Practicing Orthopaedists, held the day before the 2009 Annual Meeting. “No other effort could have a greater impact on more members.”

Unity showing dividends in Florida

Frasier Cobbe

Last spring, the Florida Orthopaedic Society (FOS) and the Bones Society of Florida (BSOF) embarked on an ambitious plan to create one of the largest risk purchasing groups for medical liability insurance in the nation. Today, the purchasing group is operational and has drastically altered the medical liability marketplace in the state. Risk purchasing groups (RPGs) are recognized on both the state and federal level.

Charting a course to safety

Richard G. Tisinger Jr., JD

Documentation is key to a medical liability defense How a physician documents in the medical record is critically important in defending a medical malpractice lawsuit. Juries place great weight on what information is and is not in the medical record and when that information was entered. This article addresses the importance of good charting practices, the critical times to chart, mistakes to avoid, charting in the electronic medical record, and tips to improve documentation.

Know when to fold them

Douglas Free, JD

Legal rights and responsibilities in settling malpractice claims Most orthopaedic surgeons face the unfortunate reality of becoming involved in one or more medical liability lawsuits during their careers. Although most medical liability claims are either successfully defended or dismissed with no payment to the plaintiff, some cases, for a variety of reasons, should be settled.