Staff Issuing Patients Blank ABN Forms Is Not Acceptable

Cheryl Toth, MBA

For many orthopaedic offices, it is standard practice to require Medicare beneficiaries to sign a blank advance beneficiary notice (ABN) at check-in, “just in case” the physician recommends an item or service that may not be covered by Medicare. The rationale is that the team can fill in the blanks later as documentation that the patient was told he or she is responsible for payment. If this is how your team handles ABNs, it is time to reset your systems.

On the Rise: What Is Driving the Cost of Medical Malpractice Insurance?

Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA

When the latest medical malpractice premium notice arrives at a physician’s office, it is not often for a small amount. Even practices that have avoided expensive lawsuits or claims are not shielded from rising premiums. Often, it seems that rising medical malpractice premiums are like death and taxes: inevitable. Medical malpractice premiums differ from one state to another and among specialties, yet they are all driven by the same factor: the cost of risk.

How Causation Is Determined in Workers’ Compensation Cases Continues to Evolve

J. Mark Melhorn, MD

Determining causation is a critical issue for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions and diseases. The science of causation continues to improve with additional research; however, because the concept has different meanings and applications for various parties, its definition remains elusive. By definition, cause is something that results in an effect. In philosophy, if A causes B, then A must always be followed by B.