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Brand equity expected to weigh heavily in HIX environment May 18, 2012 | Chris Anderson - Contributing Editor
The newly released Harris Poll EquiTrend study revealed that consumers shopping for health insurance will strongly factor in brand equity when payers begin competing on health insurance exchanges in 2014.
Federal blueprint frames out insurance exchange plans May 17, 2012 | Kaiser Health News - www.kaiserhealthnews.org
The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) on May 16 released guidance for states to provide details to the federal government on how they will run their online insurance marketplaces. Details are due to HHS by Nov. 16, 2012, according to the blueprint document.
Small-business credit conditions improving May 17, 2012 | Frank Irving - Editor
A new business index, announced May 17 by Experian and Moody's Analytics, shows that U.S. commercial credit conditions are improving, with fewer small businesses falling behind on bill payments. The index will be reported quarterly to track fluctuations in the market and indicate factors that are impacting the business economy.
HL7 extends membership program to caregivers May 17, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Standards development organization Health Level Seven International announced on May 16 a pilot membership program and webpage to encourage clinician caregivers to participate in the process of developing standards for EHRs.
HHS initiative provides online tools for healthcare data analysis May 16, 2012 | Mary Mosquera - Contributing Editor
The Department of Health & Human Services announced the availability of the Health System Measurement Project, through which policymakers, providers and the public can use online tools to develop data-driven charts and views of changes in important health system indicators.
Study finds $20 billion in ineffective healthcare incentives May 15, 2012 | Stephanie Bouchard - Associate Editor
A report released May 14 by sales and marketing consulting firm ZS Associates found that 75 percent of compensation incentives are so small or poorly communicated that they do not produce the work outcomes healthcare employers expect to get.
AMA wants physicians to help older patients steer clear of driving problems May 15, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Recognizing motor vehicle injuries as a leading cause of injury-related death in adults over 65, the American Medical Association has introduced a free Web-based educational course to help physicians address the driving safety of their older patients.
AHIMA maintains stance on ICD-10 deadline May 11, 2012 | Bernie Monegain - Editor
In a May 9 letter to the Department of Health & Human Services, AHIMA held firm in its opposition to any further delays in the ICD-10 compliance deadline.

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Six essentials of exceptional service May 16, 2012 | John Tschohl - President, Service Quality Institute
Providing your customers with exceptional service will give you and your organization a competitive edge by increasing customer loyalty. The following six basic principles of customer service, if mastered, will help you succeed as a small business owner.
Write a book to promote your practice: 3 steps to getting started May 15, 2012 | PhysBizTech staff
Yesterday's business cards are today’s books, according to PR expert Marsha Friedman. They give their authors immediate credibility, establishing them as experts in their fields. Credibility opens the door to journalists, talk show hosts, bloggers and anyone else creating content for hungry audiences.
5 quick scripts for responding to complaints
 May 08, 2012 | Frank Irving - Editor
Patients with complaints don't want to hear you say: “You’re wrong.” They want to hear that you understand them, appreciate them and agree with them on the importance of the value they have cited in their complaints.
What to watch among social media trends April 27, 2012 | Michelle McNickle - Web Content Producer
Information from social media sources can help healthcare organizations connect with customers in ways that provide value and increase trust, according to a newly released report by the Health Research Institute at PwC US. Ultimately, social media can help organizations take a more active and engaged role in managing individuals' health.
8 helpful guidelines for your ideal professional photo April 23, 2012 | Lonnie Hirsch - Co-founder, Healthcare Success Strategies Inc., Stewart Gandolf - Co-founder, Healthcare Success Strategies Inc.
Healthcare is a people business, where trust and confidence begin with the first impression. And having a truly excellent executive portrait helps build and extend your first-class reputation. Here are eight guidelines that will help you get the job done right.
8 ways a REC can help April 16, 2012 | Molly Merrill - Contributing writer
Kathryn Galbraith, MD, of Galbraith Family Medicine, LLC, in Limerick, Maine, shares with PhysBizTech some of the REC services that she found to be most useful for her practice.
Managing chronic conditions through automated patient engagement April 03, 2012 | Benjamin Littenberg, MD - CMO at Patient Engagement Systems.
The more physicians can enlist, partner and work together with chronic-condition patients, the greater the likelihood that they can increase care plan adherence and impart the behavioral and lifestyle changes that are key to improving clinical outcomes. By engaging patients, physicians can minimize avoidable emergency visits, hospitalizations and readmissions, placing them in an excellent position to collect bonuses for meeting quality metrics or share in savings.
Keep a watchful eye on 5010 claims denials while stepping toward ICD-10 readiness April 02, 2012 | Joseph Degati - Chief Technology Officer, Medical Management Professionals, Inc.
Daily vigilant monitoring of claim denials for all payers is the most precautionary way to reduce risks in revenue, as well as ensuring ongoing dialogue with billing system vendors, payers and clearinghouses regarding claim denials and corrective actions.

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Getting Ready for ICD-10 April 10, 2012 | Resource Central
On October 1, 2013, U.S. providers will be required to move from the current ICD-9 coding standards to ICD-10 in their practice management and electronic medical record systems. The changes represented in ICD-10, while sweeping in their scope, are not beyond the ability of medical practices to adopt. The earlier you begin, the easier the changeover will be. In this whitepaper learn the basics of ICD-10, the differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10, the benefits ICD-10 will provide and what you should be doing now to prepare.
Code Red: Rescue Your Revenues April 10, 2012 | Resource Central
As healthcare costs and insurance premiums continue to rise at a pace far surpassing inflation, payers have responded to the mounting economic pressures by employing complex billing and coding rules to eliminate inappropriate payments. Lacking adequate error detection and research tools, the typical healthcare business suffers from a backlog of denied claims and diminished revenues.
Enhancing Cash Collections and Internal Controls April 10, 2012 | Resource Central
Healthcare co-payments now account for 20% of total revenue in the typical physician practice, but providers who have not adopted the current set of industry best practices generally only collect 50-60% of these payments. By implementing the best practices in this whitepaper, healthcare providers can increase collection rates to over 90% and decrease billing expenses, both of which contribute to wider operating margins and a healthier bottom line.
Like it or not, MU is underway May 18, 2012 | Diana Manos - Senior Editor
No matter how you feel about the federal incentive program to drive the adoption of healthcare IT, the numbers speak for themselves.
Retirement and healthcare costs May 15, 2012 | Jeff Bogue - Bogue Asset Management
How can you account for rising healthcare costs within your retirement planning? Here are several things to consider.
ICD-10 essentials for busy physicians who would rather be doing something else -- depression and anxiety May 09, 2012 | Rhonda Butler - ICD-10, 3M
This post looks at documentation and coding in ICD-10 for people who typically are on prescribed antidepressants or anti-anxiolytics for something other than a formally diagnosed thought disorder.
CMS, WEDI working out HIPAA 5010 issues May 02, 2012 | Carl Natale - ICD10Watch
Reimbursements are being held up without much help from the payers rejecting claims. Luckily the government is here to help.
mHIMSS hosts Virtual Forum on mHealth today April 26, 2012 | Eric Wicklund - Senior Editor
Organizers say they’re nearing 1,000 registered attendees for today's mHIMSS Virtual Forum, titled “The Future of Mobile Technologies and mHealth: Staying Securely Connected.”
The need for fiduciary financial advice April 25, 2012 | Jeff Bogue - Bogue Asset Management
Some financial service firms are required to act in your best interest first while others only have to determine if a product is suitable.
Defining practice audiences is critical to marketing effectiveness April 17, 2012 | Cindy Thomas Wright - Physician Practice Marketing
Audience intelligence is critical to developing effective messages, an effective media mix, and choosing the right tactical tools to reach your primary and secondary targets.
How patient advocacy fortifies health information exchange April 16, 2012 | Patty Enrado - Contributing writer
Until we get to an environment in which information follows the patient wherever he or she may go, patient advocates can help identify gaps in care and provide necessary information to the provider on behalf of the patient.

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AACN and AONE partner to enhance patient care through academic-practice partnerships May 09, 2012 | Industry Release
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) are pleased to announce the creation of a new online resource developed to advance robust academic-practice partnerships. This new clearinghouse, hosted on the AACN Web site, features an interactive tool kit with practical guidelines for establishing successful collaborations as well as a Guiding Principles document that outlines the eight tenets for productive partnerships.
Clinical Care Options release handheld applications for inPractice™ Hepatology point-of-care online resource May 02, 2012 | Industry Release
Clinical Care Options (CCO), a leader in next-generation medical education, information, and publishing for healthcare professionals, announced the release of handheld versions of its point-of-care digital resource, inPractice™ Hepatology. The release includes iPad, iPhone, and Android applications as well as a mobile Web site that now provide hepatologists, other specialists, and primary care physicians treating liver diseases immediate access to this point-of-care resource on viral hepatitis.
TheVisualMD and Sermo partner to enhance the web's largest community platform for physicians May 02, 2012 | Industry Release
Sermo, the leading online community exclusive to physicians, and TheVisualMD, the premier producer of comprehensive, visual health content, are teaming up to provide doctors with content enabling a more dynamic online experience for cross-disciplinary discussion and collaboration on key therapeutic areas and disease states.
The doctor is in...but where is the tax advisor? April 25, 2012 | Industry Release
Medical practices are a niche market vastly underserved by tax and accounting practitioners, according to leading tax experts Alan Gassman, Jim Feutz and Lester Perling, who will host a new webinar from Bloomberg BNA entitled Individual and Group Medical Practices: Tax, Health Law, and Creditor Protection Planning.
Massachusetts primary care among the best, but where you go for care matters April 05, 2012 | Industry Release
Massachusetts Health Quality Partners announced today that Massachusetts primary care physicians continue to provide high-quality care overall, though notable differences in the quality of care delivered by medical groups in Massachusetts remain, according to MHQP’s annual Quality Insights: Clinical Quality in Primary Care report available at mhqp.org.
Thomson Reuters publishes "Vocabulary of Healthcare Reform" March 28, 2012 | Industry Release
What's the difference between an ACO and an HIE?  According to a recent HCPlexus/Thomson Reuters National Physician Survey, even doctors have difficulty discriminating between these terms. Yet, acronyms like these, along with buzz words such as individual mandate and Cadillac tax continue to show up in headlines, political debates and boardrooms nationwide.  In an effort to demystify the new lexicon of healthcare reform, Thomson Reuters has published a new paper called "Vocabulary of Healthcare Reform," which explains the new reform terminology along with insights to augment the definitions of these terms.
Kimberly-Clark Health Care launches physician education training portal March 20, 2012
Kimberly-Clark Health Care today announced the availability of a new, proprietary online learning portal to boost understanding and knowledge of its interventional pain management procedures among clinicians and support staff. The portal was built to function as a central repository of educational information for clinicians to review and refresh clinical techniques.
New commission on physician payment reform appoints WellPoint physician March 19, 2012
The National Commission on Physician Payment Reform, sponsored by the Society of General Internal Medicine, has appointed Dr. Lisa Latts, WellPoint vice president of public health policy, the only health plan representative to serve on the commission.

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PAHCOM member interview with Patti Bingham, CMM

Patti Bingham, CMM, practice administrator at All Children Pediatrics in Louisville, Ky., has been in the medical field for over 30 years. She’s worked in primary care, hospitals and specialty scenarios, including a start-up psychiatry practice that grew from a solo doctor to 28 providers in five locations across two states.