Physicians Practice - February 2008 - (Page 58)

ASK THE EXPERTS continuous original ECG waveform recording and storage, with visual superimposition scanning; includes recording, scanning analysis with report, physician review and interpretation.” 93268 is for “Patient demand single or multiple event recording with presymptom memory loop, 24 hour attended monitoring, per 30 day period of time; includes transmission, physician review and interpretation.” (In other words, is it continuous [93224] or does the patient press a button when feeling symptoms [93268]?) 93270 is associated with 93268 but is for just recording. practice, I have referred at least 30 patients to him. He has only referred one patient to me. He said that he has tried. I am very frustrated. Is there any way that I get a can profit out of this but not fall into "kick-back" problems? CALCULATING BUY-IN A Two things: One, there are probably not a ton of patients seeing an optometrist that have some immediate need for a referral to a GP. It’s not the same as you seeing a patient who needs a good eye exam. Two, you certainly can refer elsewhere to see if you get a better response. But no, you can’t propose that the optometrist has to refer you patients or Q We are gathering financial data for our accountant so that he can determine the buy-in for an associate on a partnership track. He’s asking for an aged report for January 2007 through October 2007. We still have A/R from 2006 that we’re working on — some of it, of course, will be uncollectible, but the rest might be, even if at a lower rate than normal. Shouldn’t that be considered into the value as well? Is there a “formula” to take older A/R into consideration? A Well, if I were the physician about to buy in, I’d sure balk at having A/R that old pulled into the equation at full value. That said, I have seen practices count it at a reduced percentage. For example, say there is $10,000 outstanding. Only 5 percent of anything older than 120 days would be counted. This might be a good opportunity to clean up that backlog. Anything older than 14 months and owned by a payer should really be written off. Go ahead and tackle some of the more recent and bigger patient accounts and see what happens. That'll give you a sense of how realistic it is to include this as A/R. You also might consider setting a policy for how long accounts stay on the books. You can’t propose that the optometrist has to refer you patients or that you get a cut of the business you send him. SORRY, CHARLIE UNDERSTANDING SALARY Q I am moonlighting as a physician director and was promised a 5 percent benefit, but I was paid hourly. What is supposed to be my benefit as a director? What tax form should I get? A The answer to your question depends on the terms of your contract or agreement with the practice. Its payment should follow what is laid out there. So, if the practice paid you hourly but the contract says it should pay you 5 percent (of what?), it will need to do that calculation and see if it owes you more or if you owe the practice a refund. Income should be reported on income lines on your existing tax forms, I assume, but you'll want to consult your tax accountant to be sure. REFERRAL TROUBLE that you get a cut of the business you send him. Perhaps you can leave some marketing materials in his waiting room so you can promote yourself. SENDING TRANSCRIBED NOTES • Pamela L. Moore, PhD, CPC, senior Q We have an EMR. If a provider dictates to send a copy of his notes to another provider, whether it be a referring or primary doctor, should we wait until the dictating provider signs off on the note, or can the transcriptionist go ahead and forward the note after it is transcribed? Or can this all be provider-specific? A The dictating physician should always review the transcription and sign it, conﬁrming its accuracy before sending it on. Of course, if you can ﬁnd a way to get the provider to create his own notes in the EMR, there would be no need to wait for transcription. editor of practice management for Physicians Practice, is this month’s expert. Moore has been writing for physicians on practice management issues for 10 years, and she is a recognized speaker and commentator on healthcare management. She can be reached at pmoore@physicianspractice.com. Q The doctor in the office next to mine is an optometrist. Since I started my 58 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | FEBRUARY 2008 WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Physicians Practice - February 2008

Physicians Practice - February 2008 Contents The Bigger Picture: Your Future is in Your Hands Letters Physicians Practice Pearls: Creating an A+ Practice Noteworthy Cover Story: Conquering Time: 5 Keys to a More Efficient Practice In Balance: A Family Affair Technology: Making EMRs Work in the Exam Room In Practice: "I've Got Some Bad News" The Tech Doctor - The EMR: Savior or Poseur? Ask the Experts NEW! Healthonomics: How to Handle Health Savings Accounts The Administrator's Desk: Finishing School for New Managers Human Resources: Is Your Partner Impaired The Great Practice Makeover: Too Well-Liked for His Own Good? Coding Idealab: 'Why I Blog' Classifieds Advertiser Index

Physicians Practice - February 2008

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