Opinion
Should you dismiss that patient?
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
Contrary to what seems to be the popular opinion, there are no statutory laws that I am aware of that directly apply to patient dismissal, beyond...
Opinion
Don’t forget about OSHA
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
Failure to comply with OSHA regulations can result in stiff penalties running into many thousands of dollars.
Opinion
Employment practices liability insurance
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
All EPLI policies cover litigation against your practice and its owners by employees, but some cover only full-time workers.
News
Resolving patients’ complaints
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
For most physicians, the resolution of patients’ complaints ranks second only to firing an employee on the Least Favorite Tasks List.
Article
Maintaining Adequate Third-Party Compensation
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
While it is important to pay close attention to newer third-party vehicles, do not ignore established payers or assume their compensation...
Article
The Discount Dilemma
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
Health care reform has triggered considerable discussion both in print and online about the administrative problems it has created for private...
Article
Private Practice Will Survive But Patient Billing Will Not
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
Aggressive management of accounts receivable is the key to financial health for any private practice. In the current health care reform climate,...
Article
Dermatology: The Last Refuge for Private Practice?
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
The unprecedented challenges that I have been discussing in this column over the last several months—the Patient Protection and Affordable Care...
Article
Should You Accept Insurance Exchange Coverage?
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
It remains unclear how the influx of newly insured patients through the Health Insurance Marketplace will affect private practice health care...
Article
Is Meaningful Use Worth the Burden?
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
Adoption of the meaningful use program entrails a substantial commitment of time, money, and energy. Much more is involved than simply having an...
Article
Potential Impact of the Affordable Care Act on Private Practice Physicians
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
Several provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act add up to physicians seeing more patients with better insurance policies;...
Article
ICD-10: Do Not Be Lulled by the Postponement
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
The delay in the implementation of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) should not be a...
Article
Is the Sunshine Act Worthy of Concern?
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
In mid-2013, the federal government launched the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, yet another new bureaucracy as a component of the Patient...
Article
New HIPAA Requirements
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD
Ignoring the recently proposed Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act changes could be very costly. Physicians should conduct a...
News
A Great Boss
- Author:
- Joseph Eastern, MD