Are office staff malpractice targets? Managers, coders fear they're next in line for litigation Most in healthcare agree that the malpractice crisis has spiraled out of control, causing physicians everywhere to spend more time on due diligence about what coverage they need and more money to get that change.

Percentage-based arrangements get top billing from OIG Large physician practices have a veritable phalanx of staff to attend to every facet of patient care, from appointment-making to medical coding and billing. Doctors at these practices can feel safe knowing that all the workings of their practices are accounted for and maintained under one roof.

Eight simple rules for writing a letter of reference Second in a two-part series. Emily Post can tell you how to write a proper thank-you letter, but reference letters-which can significantly affect career prospects-are a different beast entirely. Poorly written letters can give away confidential information or exhibit either an overly positive or negative bias. They can expose the ex-employer who wrote them to embarrassment or even litigation if the letters' contents are inappropriate.

Gain DME-provider status to increase practice revenue You may be used to providing your patients with durable medical equipment (DME) in limited quantities, taking a loss on supplies you can't bill for while watching patients head to specialty distributors for additional products. But by investing some resources and effort into becoming a certified DME provider, that could all change.

Insurance claims: Provisions for the new provider By Barbara Eberly Whether you have an established provider taking some time off or a new provider not fully credentialed with insurance carriers, insurance claims pose a complex and potentially costly problem: Whose name should you place on the form? You don't want your providers to worry about losing patients or income, or about fraud charges because of an incorrect name reported on an insurance claim form. So be sure that you know what each carrier requires for the various scenarios you may face.