Physician Compensation in Private Practice

Thomas F. Murray Jr, MD

Physician compensation models typically vary by practice type. The classic private practice model of three to seven physicians has traditionally used models that treat each provider’s clinical revenue as his or her own and divide expenses according to a method that accounts for fixed and variable overhead. This is the so-called “eat what you kill” approach.

Identifying the High-Risk Patient

Andrew D. Markiewitz, MD

The high-risk patient is not easily defined. Physicians often make their own determinations based on personal experience. Although the high-risk patient is often assumed to be uninsured or poorly insured, elderly, demanding, mentally challenged, previously injured, sick, or litigious, not all of these characteristics are accurate descriptors. This article attempts to separate myth from reality in defining the high-risk patient.

Turn Transmittals into Training Tools

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

Payer transmittals—the electronic or mail-out disclosures sent by insurance companies when they’ve identified an error or problem or when an update is needed—are a dime a dozen. Your billing team receives them regularly and typically sets them aside after reading them—especially when the message is like this recent example from a Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC): We have identified claim issues for dates of service 1/1/2013 through 1/11/2013.

Connecting With Patients Through Portals

Howard Mevis

Portals improve communication, care processes Howard Mevis Time—it’s your most valuable resource. One step you can take to increase efficiency and improve productivity is to establish a patient portal. Not only will a patient portal facilitate your ability to meet the goals established under Stage 2 Meaningful Use objectives, it will also save time, enhance productivity, and improve communications.

Asset Protection Planning for the Surgeon

James M. Duggan, MBA, JD

Asset protection has emerged as a fundamental in financial planning for individuals with high net worth. Estate planning attorneys who fail to address this aspect do their clients a disservice. Even the most elegant estate planning documents are rendered meaningless if a surgeon has been sued and lost all of his or her estate assets prior to death.

Private Practices Still Going Strong

AMA survey shows 60 percent of physicians in physician-owned practices Although recent reports give the impression that hospital employment of physicians may soon result in the disappearance of the private-practice model, a 2012 survey by the American Medical Association (AMA) seems to indicate otherwise. Nearly 15,000 physicians were asked to participate in the survey, and 3,466 (28 percent) completed it.