Category Archives: Uncategorized

Billing in Medicine: Getting Paid for What Matters

Cutting and pasting in electronic health records as evidence of fraud and audits for Meaningful Use are hot topics in medical news these days. That prompted me to think about the move from volume to value in health care payment systems. When I started as a resident, we documented so those who read our notes…
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Physician Suicide: A Silent But Growing Issue

Everyone (except maybe those closest to him) was shocked by the recent suicide of Robin Williams. A great comedian and actor, it was shocking that someone who had so much felt so bad that life was not worth living. A friend and fellow resident committed suicide in his last year of residency. I still, 32…
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Stressed Out By One MU Audit? Try Three

“You have been selected by CMS for a HITECH EMR Meaningful Use (MU) Prepayment Audit for payment year…” We, as physicians, can respect that random or even selected audits are appropriate to check that Eligible Providers (EPs) are following the rules to receive the extra money offered by CMS for implementing Meaningful Use of EHRs.…
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If Only … Physicians Had the Tools to Fight Pill Scammers

Having had years of experience as an employed physician and an ER doc, when I opened my solo practice in the middle of my career in a suburban area, it didn’t surprise me that I was targeted. I was new, eager for business, and when the modest announcement was put in the local papers, they…
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