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An Advanced Alternative Payment Model (AAPM) offers benefits to physicians or practices that qualify including potential exemption from MIPS reporting requirements. This article discusses the requirements to qualify and the approved AAPMs for 2017.

Until recently, few physicians offered after-hours care beyond an automated telephone instruction to call 911 or visit an emergency room. But offering 24-hour access is a policy goal today. Why should practices consider staying open longer?

Your healthcare practice probably hinges on a number of complex agreements – agreements that require periodic review and updating. The following documents in particular demand your attention.

One of the most positive features of the MACRA Final Rule is that physicians have a degree of flexibility in implementation. You can start collecting your performance data any time between January 1 and October 2, 2017.

Most workflow issues can be traced back to problems with processes, not with people. Consider these five steps for taming the workflow beast at your practice.

For Medicare providers, 2017 is the year to begin ramping up Medicare's Quality Payment Program. Final rules authorized in the bipartisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) will affect providers' Medicare payments beginning in 2019.

In a world of credit and debit cards, it’s easy to forget the importance of proper cash handling. Hundreds of thousands of dollars disappear from medical practices each year - consider these best practices for managing the cash that flows through your practice.

Physicians are trained to make treatment decisions in the best interest of their patients' health - not what patients can afford or what the insurance company will pay. Discussing costs and options with patients may strengthen the doctor-patient relationship.

Telemedicine is already a $17.8 billion industry. Behind those eye-popping numbers is a simple truth: Patients love it. In fact, an estimated 7 million patients are expected to be utilizing some form of telehealth services by 2018.

According to a report from the Medical Group Management Association, physician practices collect only 60% of patient co-payments on average. Cracking down starts with establishing clear and consistent expectations for payment.

There are plenty of strategies available to protect your assets. But advanced strategies like offshore trusts should be employed only after you’ve covered the basics. The following tried-and-true asset protection strategies will help keep your assets safely out of reach of creditors.

Ideally, an exit strategy is spelled out in the partnership agreement or employment contract. Some practices go as far as negotiating a formal separation agreement with departing physicians that clarifies the terms of departure.

Reviewing end-of-quarter financials is one thing, but there are some meaningful metrics your practice should be looking at on a daily or weekly basis. There are also a number of different key performance indicators (or KPIs) you can be monitoring on a regular basis.

How Insulated Are Your Assets? It’s not all that hard to find out what is in your practice’s pockets. Asset protection is based on a simple concept. Here are some key factors in personal asset protection.

Fraud comes in many shapes and sizes, but the telltale signs of employee theft are fairly consistent. Establishing good internal controls is a vital defense against fraud. In particular, physicians and practice managers should be on the lookout for the following signs.

When it comes to data security, protecting patient data is your responsibility. Small medical practices typically do not have the advanced technology or dedicated IT staff keeping a watchful eye to prevent a data security breach. Consider these key steps for protecting patient data.

In an era of accountable care, mid-level providers such as nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants and other advanced clinical providers can benefit healthcare practices. There are three key roles that mid-level providers are well-suited to play.

Establishing good cash management practices is a vital defense against theft and fraud. As patient financial responsibility increases, so does the flow of cash through your practice. Be sure to have some cash controls in place. These controls may include the following.

In the era of high-deductible health plans, self pay increasingly means a patient who has insurance but still has a substantial financial responsibility before coverage kicks in. Here are some best practices for collecting what the new self-pay patient is responsible for.

Restrictive covenants, also known as non-compete agreements, are not new. In several high-profile cases, courts have struck down overly restrictive covenants. Some providers mistakenly assume that non-competes are unenforceable and are not a concern when negotiating employment contracts.