Physicians can earn thousands of dollars in additional Medicare Part B fee-for-service (FFS) revenue this year if they use e-prescribing, and it’s not too late to get started. However, the incentives are short-lived. According to the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), beginning in 2012, organizations that continue to drag their feet on e-prescribing face reimbursement cuts on the services they provide to Medicare members.

Although the benefits of EMR technology are well documented, going paperless is a complicated process that changes the way physicians and staff members handle almost every task. But proper training and preparation can make for a smooth transition.

Every physician office needs a compliance plan—a written document that outlines proper policies and procedures for coding, billing, and managing other regulations that apply to physician practices. Ideally, your compliance plan will keep you out of hot water with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and health plan or government auditors.

Understanding the areas of billing and compliance highlighted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in its 2009 Work Plan is critical to your bottom line.

For public service professionals, a good reputation means everything. This is especially true for healthcare providers as patients become more involved with managing their care.

Technology is constantly evolving. It has created more efficient hospitals, health systems, and physician practices, and also offers ease in managing information and helps providers keep up with their patients in this fast-paced world. Information technology (IT) trends that are changing the face of healthcare continue to surface.

The ever-increasing role of technology in healthcare will bring security and privacy challenges into the forefront for physician practices in 2009. Consider the following expert predictions.