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Don’t Hold Patient Credit Balances Past 30 Days - 12/11/2019

Have lingering patient credit balances on your books? Here’s how the law says to handle them.

Delegation of Duties - 10/24/2019

Use these resources to learn more about delegation of duties. 

Most Valuable Team: Managing Nonphysician Staff Efficiently Can Boost Patient Care and Bottom Line - 08/02/2019

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.

Understanding “Incident to” Billing - 03/20/2019

Can my practice provide anticoagulation monitoring for a Medicare patient in our office as “incident to” a physician’s services? On the other hand, if we refer the patient to an anticoagulation monitoring clinic, can we still bill this service as “incident to”?

Medicare Billing Guidelines for NPs, CNS, and PAs - 03/04/2019

Billing Guidelines for Nurse Practitioners (NP),Clinical Nurse Specialists(CNS),and Physician Assistants (PA)

Advanced Education? TMA Pushes State for Standards in APRN Clinical Training - 10/18/2018

TMA pushes state for standards in APRN clinical training.

Can You Recognize Embezzlement Red Flags? - 06/28/2018

It happens again and again: A physician is blind-sided by the discovery that a long-time, trusted employee has had his or her fingers in the practice till for several years. Often in retrospect, the signs were there, if only the physician had recognized them.

Did That Employee Quit, or Did You Fire Her? - 11/08/2017

The question of whether an employee quit or was fired is very important if the ex-employee files for unemployment benefits. It determines who has the burden of proof in the case. These tips from the Texas Workforce Commission can help you keep the onus of proof off you.

Cellphone Policy Minimizes Distractions - 10/19/2017

A few simple rules about using personal cellphones in a medical office can help each workday run efficiently and professionally.

Should You Bill This Visit as “Incident to”? - 10/19/2017

A physician hires a nonphysician practitioner and establishes a standing delegation order for a specific course of treatment. … Read the rest of the scenario. Can you answer the billing question correctly?

Working Through the Generation Gap - 09/29/2017

The differences between the millennial generation and older generations isn’t black and white. The nuances are important to understand if you are looking to hire millennials for your office or to work with them on your health care team.

Protocols and Prescriptive Authority Agreements - 09/29/2017

In managing physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses, what is the difference between a prescriptive authority agreement and a protocol? Do I need to have both?

Practice Staff: The More You Give, the More You Get - 05/26/2017

As a small practice, your competition for good employees is stiff, and your need for highly productive, stable staff is great. To succeed on both fronts comes down to an important factor: You have to offer a salary and benefits that are competitive in your market.

Tips for Selecting a Quality Employee - 05/24/2017

Hiring the right people for your medical practice office staff can be challenging, but careful preparation for the interviews and evaluation helps. Follow these tips for successful hiring.

What Makes a Good Boss? - 05/17/2017

Answer the questions in this infographic to see if you’re great, good — or need to work on your leadership and management skills — plus, pick up a few good tips.

How Physicians Can Help With Collections - 04/20/2017

Even if you have a business manager or office manager to “handle the money” for your practice, you, the physician, have an important role in billing and collections.

Guard Your Practice Against Employee Theft - 12/21/2016

Medical practices are especially vulnerable to embezzlement, in part, because they are typically cash businesses. According to a 2009 Medical Group Management Association study, 83 percent of the medical practices polled had been the victim of employee theft or embezzlement. But because medical offices are run by a close-knit staff, it can be hard for a physician to imagine any employees stealing from the practice.

“Incident to” and the Initial Medicare Visit - 12/20/2016

Novitas Solutions will deny or downcode claims for initial office visits billed as “incident to” when a nonphysician practitioner performs the initial history and physical.

Use Telephone Scripts for Best First Impression and Efficiency - 12/20/2016

One way to ensure a consistent experience for callers to your practice is the use of standard telephone scripts, or outlines for more complex calls.

What’s Your Policy for Unused Paid Time Off? - 12/20/2016

Do any state laws govern how to handle unused paid time off when an employee leaves our practice?

Four Bill-Collecting Tips for New (or Any) Practices - 12/12/2016

Starting a practice can be daunting, and one challenge often overlooked is making sure you get paid. Although only a small number of patients will not pay you, or will pay slowly, they can hurt your bottom line. Writing off thousands of dollars in charges should not be an option.

PAs and APRNs: How Do These Midlevels Differ? - 12/09/2016

Physicians interested in hiring a midlevel practitioner for their practice sometimes wonder whether they should hire a physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse. Here’s the basic difference between the two.

Fire! Do You and Your Staff Know What to Do? - 12/07/2016

Are you and your staff prepared to respond to a fire at your practice location? TMA’s Policies and Procedures: A Guide for Medical Practices reminds physicians and staff who discover a fire to stay calm and follow the “RACE” procedure.

Focus on Member Services: Human Resources Help - 12/07/2016

When you need to find and keep the right staff for your practice, turn to TMA's many members-only resources for recruitment and management help. TMA experts can address a range of staffing concerns, including how to prevent one of the most troubling and costly problems physicians encounter: employee theft, which occurs in more than 80 percent of medical practices.

Nine Do’s and Don’ts for Enforcing Office Policies - 12/07/2016

Having office policies is one thing. Enforcing them fairly and consistently is another. By failing to do the latter, you risk losing unemployment claims.