Stories with related Professional Interests

Help Your Small Business Thrive With These Webinars - 05/03/2019

In recognition of National Small Business Week (May 5-11), Texas Medical Association-endorsed vendor Officite is kicking off a three-week webinar series beginning May 8.

Dos and Don’ts of Using Modifier 22 - 04/25/2019

Sometimes the work to provide a service is “substantially greater” than typically required on the date of services. When this happens, document the extra work by adding modifier 22 to the procedure code.

Let TMA Help Keep Your Practice Compliant - 04/24/2019

In a medical practice, physicians, administrators, managers, and other staff may all be responsible for maintaining compliance with state and federal laws and regulations. The Texas Medical Association offers several resources, tools, and even discounts on compliance services to help keep your practice compliant.

Charging Concierge Fees to BCBSTX Patients - 04/23/2019

Although Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) places limits on the additional fees participating network physicians can charge BCBSTX patients, some are allowed when you provide concierge services.

Go Paperless With UHC Document Vault - 04/22/2019

Looking for ways to reduce the amount of paper your practice uses? One way is to digitally receive claim and prior authorization letters for UnitedHealthcare commercial and Medicare patients through UHC’s Document Vault, rather than by mail.

Most Valuable Team: Managing Nonphysician Staff Efficiently Can Boost Patient Care and Bottom Line - 04/17/2019

Because state laws and insurer billing requirements governing physician delegation and supervision can be tricky to navigate, practices must stay up to date to avoid potential penalties.

Make Sure These Medicare Missteps Didn’t Affect Your Claims - 04/16/2019

Because of all of the policies, edits, determinations, rules, and revisions, Medicare’s claims processing sometimes goes awry for certain codes, fees, or other specific claim elements. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports these errors and their fixes on a regular basis.

Searching for a Better Online Reputation - 04/15/2019

What people see on the internet can bring in — or drive away — patients. But most physicians are not trained in either communications or digital technology, and so have little understanding of the financial impact of search engines, social media, and review sites.

Alert: Scammers Demanding Bogus Fines For Drug Purchases - 04/01/2019

The Texas Medical Association and the Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) are warning physicians about scammers posing as a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent trying to defraud doctors into paying a nonexistent federal fine for allegedly intercepting illegal prescription drugs the doctor had sent through the mail.

How to Avoid MIPS Penalty with Minimal Reporting by April 2 - 03/25/2019

For 2018 reporting, your 2020 Medicare payments will be cut even more – by 5 percent – if you are required to participate in MIPS but choose not to submit data. So if you’d rather get paid in full next year (or – even better – receive a payment bonus), there’s still time to submit 2018 data. But you should act fast. The deadline is April 2.

Four Tips For Creating An Effective Online Presence - 03/13/2019

Patients (and Google) expect your website to be more than an online business card. To reach as many potential patients as possible, your site should be mobile-friendly, contain high-quality educational content, and show up at the top of search results. Check out these suggestions to make sure your practice doesn’t get lost online.

Humana Changes for 2019: Preauthorization, Notification, and Formularies - 02/27/2019

Humana has made changes for 2019 to its preauthorization and notification lists.

Coding Changes Affect UnitedHealthcare Prior Authorization Lists - 02/22/2019

UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has replaced and added procedure codes on its notification and prior authorization (PA) lists.

All Together Now: Health Care Mergers Reshape the Way Texas Physicians Practice - 02/20/2019

Consolidation has touched just about every part of today’s health care industry. Hospitals, medical practices, pharmacies, insurance companies are all merging in various ways — a trend epitomized by the 2018 announcement that hospital systems Baylor Scott & White Health in Dallas and Memorial Hermann in Houston plan to become one big nonprofit.

How to Make Patients (and Google) Fall In Love With Your Site - 02/15/2019

If you want to learn what it takes to keep your practice on Google’s front page, join TMA-endorsed vendor Officite for a free online workshop starting at 1 p.m. Feb. 21.

Primary Care Consortium Seeking Breakout Proposals For Summit - 02/13/2019

The Texas Primary Care Consortium is looking to you to make its upcoming annual summit more in line with your experience with practice transformation. Here’s your chance to lead a breakout session.

Five Ideas for Abstract Submission at the PHW Exchange Poster Session - 01/31/2019

The Texas Medical Association Physician Health and Wellness Exchange in February will feature a poster session highlighting the TMA Health and Wellness initiative in academic medicine. The poster session is an opportunity for medical students, residents, and academic medicine faculty members to collaborate on ideas that will help identify best practices for wellness and resilience in academic medical centers.  

Capital Gains: Attracting Investors Without Losing Independence - 01/02/2019

Can physicians line up venture capital without letting go of their independence? It’s not so easy.

A Chance to Control Your Practice’s Health Insurance Costs - 11/19/2018

TMA Insurance Trust has uncovered two special, limited-time waivers that can help your practice control the cost of health insurance. With these waivers, there are no participation or contribution requirements.

These Five Stages Define Colleague Relationships - 11/15/2018

Healthy workplace relationships are born of mutual trust. This applies to your peers, superiors, and the people you manage. As these relationships evolve, you have to work at keeping them productive and fulfilling, especially once the getting-to-know-you phase has come and gone.

Demand Lighting - 11/14/2018

Demand Lighting is a manufacturer-direct supplier of commercial LED lighting solutions.  

Do You Know the Hidden Costs of Short-Term Health Insurance? - 11/12/2018

Due to their lower monthly premiums, short-term health plans are receiving a lot of attention. But these plans have several hidden costs you may not have considered, and TMA members can now take advantage of a better way to control the cost of health insurance.

EHR 2.0 – Is It Time to Update or Replace? - 11/05/2018

Whatever the problem, you don’t have to let an outdated EHR get worse. The Texas Medical Association’s publication, Switching EHR Systems, can help you assess your options and make an informed decision.

Get Help Navigating Texas’ Legal Landmines - Dec. 8 - 10/29/2018

Hiring an attorney for your practice can be time-consuming and expensive. Instead, get all the answers you need (and earn continuing medical education credit) by attending this one-day, in-depth training: Protecting Your Practice: Hot Button Legal Issues for Physicians, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 8.

Don’t Fall for Credentialing Scam, Blue Cross Says - 10/23/2018

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas warns physicians to be aware of a scammer that is offering to help doctors become credentialed with the insurance company for $250.