Tag: law
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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: How It Still Affects You
Editor’s Note: This article is a follow-up to The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – How Will It Affect YOU? published in the Winter 2018 issue. On Aug. 8, the IRS issued proposed regulations for the newly created Section 199A 20 Percent Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction. 199A has been one of the most talked…
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Is Your Corporate Compliance Plan Up-to-Date?
As 2019 kicks off, it is wise to review various aspects of your practice to ensure everything is up to date and continues to operate in compliance with applicable laws. One area of focus for such review is your corporate compliance plan. Compliance plans are written policies and procedures, adopted by a health care provider,…
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What Can Physicians Charge for Medical Records?
The State of Alabama Board of Medical Examiners amended its rules that govern the fees physicians may charge to provide patients with copies of their medical records.2 The rules are set forth in Section 540-X-9-.10(2) of the Alabama Administrative Code, and the new rules became effective April 13, 2018. Here are the key dos and…
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A Refresher in the Medicare Claims Appeals Process…
With the increased audit activity we are seeing among the alphabet soup of Medicare contractors – RACs, ZPICs, SMRCs, CERTs, etc. – now appears to be a good time for a refresher on the Medicare claims appeals process. Due to this increased audit activity, more and more claims are being denied, both under pre-payment review…
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Emergency Physicians: Georgia BCBS Policy Violates Federal Law
WASHINGTON, DC – The American College of Emergency Physicians and its Georgia Chapter recently announced a policy that Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia plans to implement in July, making subscribers pay for any emergency department visit that turns out not to be an emergency, violates the “prudent layperson” standard, which is codified in federal law,…
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What You Need to Know about the Business of Practicing Medicine
While physicians today learn cutting-edge medical treatments and technologies, most of them don’t receive any instruction on the business side of medicine. That’s an unfortunate omission; practicing medicine requires doctors to enter contracts, to be aware of applicable rules, laws and regulations, to market themselves, to understand proper coding requirements, and to properly collect patient…
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Is a Physician Leaving Your Practice? Here are Your “Must Have” Employment Agreement Provisions (Part I)
The following is the first installment of a three-part series discussing important provisions in physician employment agreements. When a physician leaves a medical practice, especially if the physician stays in the area to compete against his/her former employer, the situation can become stressful and acrimonious. During the final weeks of employment, the departing physician can…
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Florida’s Physician “Gun Gag” Overturned on Appeal
The full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit struck down the Florida law restricting physicians from speaking to patients and families about the risks of guns in the home. The case, Wollschlaeger v. Scott, was filed on June 6, 2011, challenged the Florida law, which could censor, fine and revoke…