Is your practice accurately reporting the severity of illness for Medicare patients? If chronic conditions are not documented and coded annually, the health status of your patients is not accurately reflected in their care. 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ recently announced that Evaluation and Management (E/M) visits will soon get some relief from burdensome coding and billing requirements. These billing and documentation requirements for E/M codes were established 20 years ago and have been subject to longstanding criticism from clinicians that they do not reflect current care practices and needs.

For health care professionals, opioid addiction is a complex problem that requires careful physician monitoring because of the dangerous side effects. The Federal government has issued safety warnings and guidance for physicians to address the opioid crisis. Earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning to physicians and health care professionals not to abruptly discontinue opioids in patients who are dependent. The FDA also required label changes to guide prescribers on gradual, individualized tapering.

Northern California Medical Associates (NCMA) has been a leading association of medical practitioners in the North Bay Area since 1975, when Cardiology Associates of Santa Rosa, Inc. first opened its doors. Since then, NCMA has expanded its expertise and scope of care by merging with several private practices to better serve patients in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties.

When sexual harassment is taking place in a medical practice, it can have devastating effects. Every office should have a strict protocol for addressing claims. Alleged victims need to know that their claims are taken seriously and will be fully investigated, says Michelle Goodwine, CEO, Diversity Advice Consultants.