Healthcare Practice Strategies - Winter 2014 - Introduction

Welcome to the Winter 2014 edition of EisnerAmper's Healthcare Practice Strategies. We hope you will find this issue packed with the timely news, updates and accounting information you need.

Increasingly, physicians are exploring ways to reach the critical mass they need to effectively compete in today’s healthcare marketplace. Our lead article, To Merge or Not to Merge, kicks off a year-long series exploring the practicalities of practice mergers. This first article focuses on the need for solid due diligence prior to making the merger leap.

Our article on Bundled Payments encourages providers to think through some of the particulars as Accountable Care Organizations and other value-based payment initiatives work their way into state and commercial markets. An accompanying sidebar discusses the need to align compensation with quality measures whenswitching to bundled payments.

Why Mergers Fail explores some specific reasons that practice mergers and acquisitions fall apart — everything from incompatible partners to improperly allocated practice expenses.

Finally, Dodging the ICD-10 Cash Crunch explores the potential impact on practice cash flow when the new code set goes into effect on October 1. Even physicians who are totally prepared for implementation may experience delays in claims collections due to learning curves at both the practice and payor level.

Remember, our accounting professionals in EisnerAmper's Healthcare Services Group are experienced in meeting the unique demands of successful medical professionals just like you. If you would like more information on any of the topics covered in this issue of Healthcare Practice Strategies, we would be happy to help.

Healthcare Practice Strategies - Winter 2014

• Introduction 
• To Merge or Not to Merge: It All Starts with Due Diligence 
• Bundled Payments: Don't Leave Money on the Table 
• Why Mergers Fail 
• Dodging the ICD-10 Cash Crunch