Beware of emails from customers@eftps.gov stating your tax payments were rejected. It's a scam, the IRS warns.

The emails go to a website containing malware that will infect your computer. If you receive messages of this kind, the IRS instructs you to do the following:

1. Do not reply to the sender, access links on the site or submit any information to them.
2. Forward the message as-is immediately to us at phishing@irs.gov.
3. How to report and identify phishing, e-mail scams and bogus IRS websites.

Click here for more on email scam

New observation codes, changes to wound care codes and revisions to modifiers are just a few things we found in CPT 2011

Sage Healthcare's Tony Ryzinski passed along these 14 tips to successfully implement an electronic health record (EHR) system at your practice.

1. Keep your eye on good patient care. For example, scanning can't back up because providers need to trust that the electronic record has the information they need to make good medical decisions.
2. Listen to feedback-and use it. Don't scrap the project if you get negative feedback, but use your management skills to change the process. 
3. Evaluate your financial position. You can't go into a project like an EHR purchase and implementation without a financial plan. Make sure you understand your practice's tolerance for debt. Set up an internal payment schedule and determine your go-live date by how much time you'll need to prepare financially. For many practices, the financial plan will have a longer time horizon than the training plan.

Click here to read more about implementing an EHR

It's been a long time in the making, but the Internet-based version of the Provider Enrollment Chain Ownership System (PECOS) is finally available to providers and suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS). Starting Oct. 4, individual DMEPOS suppliers could, for the first time, sign into online PECOS using their National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) usernames and passwords. TIP: CMS has published a walkthrough of the system for DMEPOS suppliers which you access online (read more about online PECOS for DMEPOS suppliers) ...

CMS announced its prices for seasonal flu vaccines. Here are the rates for the flu shots:

• 90655, flu vaccine, no preservative, 6-35 months, $12.398
• 90656, flu vaccine, no preservative, 3 years and older, $12.375
• 90657, flu vaccine, 6-35 months, im, $6.297
• 90658, flu vaccine, $11.368
• 90660, flu vaccine, nasal, $22.316
• 90662, flu vaccine, preservative free, increased antigen, $29.213

Prices are effective between Sept. 1, 2010 and Aug. 31, 2011; except for 90658, which is effective to Dec. 31, 2010.