Book Club: The E Myth Physician

I love to read, especially anything related to business and medicine.  I have finally realized, after 15 years in practice, that is not enough to just be a doctor.  Whether we like it or not, we are all small business owners, and some of us are even entrepreneurs.  Today I will review The E Myth [...]

Hip Hip HIPAA–Myth Busting 101

Photo: starpulse.com
As far as I am concerned HIPAA has added another layer of useless paperwork on to the backs of physicians, and I particularly resent the cost it has added to primary care.  Therefore, I was excited to see an article on HIPAA myths.  Below is my summary of HIPAA myth bustin’:
Myth 1: You can’t [...]

And Now A Little About Me: How ExtraMD is Weathering the Financial Crisis

If only I could get paid for worrying!  I was up last night at 1:30 am, worrying about my company, ExtraMD.  I formed ExtraMD five years ago, when I left the large hospitalist group I was working for.  The hospitalist group was (and still is!) made up of intelligent, caring physicians.  I earned a nice [...]

State CME Guidelines

State
MD/DO
CME Credits
Required
Term
(years)
AMA PRA
Category 1 Credit(s)TM
required
Required Topics

Alabama
MD/DO
12
1
12
 

Alaska
MD/DO
50
2
50
 

Arizona
MD
40
2
 
 

DO
40
2
24(AOA 1-A)
 

Arkansas
MD/DO
20
1
Not specified
 

California
MD
100
4
100
1 time requirement of 12 hrs. pain mgmt. and end of life care; If >20% of patients are over 65, 20 hrs. in Geriatric medicine required

DO
150
3
60
(AOA 1-A or B
1 time requirement of 12 hrs. pain mgmt. and end of life care; If >20% of patients are over 65, [...]

How Doctors Think Outside of the Medical Box

It was a tough week in Pookieville.  I worked all week at one of my favorite hospitals.  I like working there because the specialists I work with are hypercompetent and always willing to help.  Furthermore, they like to chat. Well, they like to chat about interesting cases.
I was particularly challenged this week because I had to [...]

AHIP Rides in to Save Health Care

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) has released a plan on how to reduce health care costs.  The platform is summarized below:
The new reform proposal would:
Ensure universal coverage by guaranteeing coverage for pre-existing conditions, fixing the health care safety net, giving tax credits to working families and enacting an individual coverage requirement;
Call on the nation to set [...]

The Common Sense Declaration: How to Fix Health Care

I am on a reading frenzy, and finally got to the October 17, 2008 issue of Medical Economics.  There was an excellent article by Elizabeth A. Pector, MD, on fixing health care.  I will highlight some key points, but encourage all of you to see the entire article (pages 29-33.)  (www.memag.com)
“Establish equal rights for doctors.”  Dr. [...]

10 Reasons Your Medical Practice is Failing, and How to Fix It

As the ExtraMD, PookieMD has seen lots of practices.  I have also been asked to evaluate failing practices to see where they got off track.  There are some common themes amongst failing practices.  For once, I will NOT carry on about reimbursement, but rather focus on where the physician owners of these failing practices went wrong. [...]

Survival Tips for Primary Care: How to Save Money

Now that I have vented/ranted/opined on the demise of primary care, let’s move to some survival tips. Following are PookieMD’s two fundamental. most important, and most loathsome rules of survival in primary care medicine.
The money is in the numbers.
Time is money.
Yes, you have to see patients to  make money, and given today’s reimbursement you have to [...]

What if Starbucks billed like ICD-10?

Ah, yes, ICD-10 is coming!  Yes, the new coding system with 10 times more codes than the previous is slated to go live in 2011.  Much of the world now uses ICD-10 because it has more codes, as apparently, we are running out of codes.  You, my beloved provider, will be shouldering the burden of [...]