• FEATURES

    A Refresher on Medical Necessity

    Peter R. Jensen

    Reviewing the rules and examining your coding practices can decrease denials and help you get paid.

    Finding the Perfect Job

    Jack Valancy

    Here's a plan for figuring out which practice is right for you.

    The Top PDA Resources for Family Physicians

    Alvin B. Lin

    Here are 15 resources that can make you more effective with your handheld.

    How to Plan an Open House for Your Practice

    Joshua S. Coren

    An open house can help you attract new patients and retain existing ones. Here’s how to pull it off in five simple steps.

    How Does Your Practice Measure Up?

    Bruce Bagley

    The ability to collect and use data to improve performance is becoming an essential practice management skill.

    What Family Physicians Need to Know About Pay for Performance

    Scott Endsley, Geof Baker, Bernard A. Kershner, Kathleen Curtin

    Yes, the concept has flaws, but it may also have promise. Regardless, it’s headed your way.

    FROM THE EDITOR

    Sinking Toward a Fertile Chaos

    Robert Edsall

    We may be approaching the failure of the past and the birth of the future of health care.

    LETTERS

    Family medicine vs. retail medicine

    Reinventing the specialty, continued

    The health plan’s job

    John W. Richards, Jr.

    The pros and cons of sole proprietorship

    Dressing the part

    Ajay Sood

    NEWS TRENDS

    NEWS & TRENDS

    Medicare proposes substantial changes to physician fee schedule | Physician income declines between 1995 and 2003 | Health plans reverse troubling payment policies | Court tosses out suit against health plans

    CODING & DOCUMENTATION

    CODING & DOCUMENTATION

    Cindy Hughes

    Billing for group visits | Multiple physicians for one patient | Communicating with nursing home staff | Laser therapy | “Get-acquainted” visits | Wound repair | E codes as secondary diagnoses | Telephone counseling

    PRACTICE PEARLS

    PRACTICE PEARLS

    Max Boone, Holly D. McCoy, Katherine A. Schneider, Sara E. Allgood, Ray Holt, Julian T. Hsu, Carol N. Pryby

    Simplify your phone service | Initiating background checks on potential employees | Remind patients to get A1C checks | Manage by walking around | Host a tailgate with drug reps | Encourage vacations | Follow up with your patients | Create templates for study orders

    THE LAST WORD

    Diagnosis Du Jour

    Zachary Flake

    When you happen upon a new diagnosis, a strange phenomenon occurs: Its prevalence increases in your practice.



    Disclosure

    All editors and editorial advisory board members in a position to control content for this activity, FPM journal, are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships. View disclosures.



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