The proposed 2010 Physician Fee Schedule aims to expand the current Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) while simplifying the way CMS's e-prescribing program works (see story).

This chart shows the effectiveness of electronic medical records systems (EMRs) based on a recent, nationwide survey of 2,758 physicians published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

It's essential for everyone in your office to work up to their license for a patient-centered medical home to work effectively. The roles and responsibilities in your practice need to be clearly defined so you have the right people, doing the right job.

Your primary care practice can boost revenue by making sure you bill common dermatology procedures done in your office correctly. Boosting your ability to provide and bill a wider array of services will also help prepare your practice to become part of a patient-centered medical home, experts say.

You probably already knew CMS was planning to propose a huge cut to your 2010 payments, but the agency also proposes to eliminate payment for consult codes, directing specialists to instead bill new and established patient E/M codes. In addition, the agency proposes to eliminate the cost of drugs from the physician payment formula, a concession long-sought by physician specialty groups.

This week's question is answered by John Burns CPC, senior consultant for DecisionHealth Professional Services.

Q: Can I bill a device check (pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) on the same day as an office visit?

If you get hit with erroneous overpayment demands when your local recovery audit contractor (RAC) opens for business later this summer, CMS has some advice for you: appeal.

This chart shows the patients-per-provider ratio in the Medicare program, comparing the number of enrollees per provider, by specialty, in 2007 and 2008.

Regardless of whether the health reform bill results in a public insurance option, the dated and much-maligned Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula that currently dictates your Medicare payments is likely to be replaced, so long as some sort of reform package passes, experts say.

You'll need to identify as many patients eligible for a covered osteoporosis screening as you can - if you want to get the most out of your dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) machine. Reimbursement rates for DEXA have fallen sharply in recent years, with a 40% cut in 2007 (PBN 5/28/07) and the future is set to get worse.