CONSULTANT ARTICLES
You Did That On Purpose!
"You did that on purpose!" The meaning behind this one simple childhood utterance can literally change your life... almost overnight. Here's the scenario. Little Tommy intentionally pushes little Suzie. Suzie runs to the teacher and exclaims "Tommy pushed me on...
How to Take a Break – And Survive!
The demands of practice can often be daunting. We know we should take care of ourselves and take a break once in a while. Getting away is not always practical. Overhead is still present, staff doesn’t always keep to our schedule because of family obligations, and of...
Co-pays, Co-insurance & Deductibles
Question: The recent increase in deductibles and co-pays has negatively affected my patients and practice. I am out-of-network with most insurance plans. Do I have to collect the full deductible? Is it possible to waive a portion of the co-insurance? Should I lower my...
“All Done” Learning? Think Again.
A client made a very insightful observation recently. He told us, “We’ve been in practice long enough that we’re probably way cockier than we need to be.” Anybody out there feel an “ouch” on that one? It’s dismayingly easy to get cocky and fall for the illusion that...
59 Modifier Comes under Fire in Medicare
In an effort to reduce abuse of billing for procedures, the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits were developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The NCCI edit program is used by all carriers and third party administrators to thwart...
Physician, Heal Thyself!
Chiropractors know how to diagnosis and treat patients to free them from pain and get them back to functioning to their full potential. Even those of us in the profession aren’t immune to the magic; from the infants to the infirmed, we’ve witnessed firsthand what...
Have We Seen the End of Modifier 59?
Question: Dr. Kotlar, I’ve heard modifier 59 is being deleted. Can I still use the 59 modifier? Answer: Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-E/M services performed on the...
The Top Ways to Impress Your Patients…or Turn Them Off
Many chiropractic practices today are searching for the secret formula to improve patient enrollment. Attracting new patients and improving your conversion rate is easier than you think if you become a patient-centered practice, focusing on your patients’ needs. How...
Is Your Practice Guilty of Deflate-Gate?
Recent news reports have analyzed and bloviated about what is known as “deflate-gate.” It is alleged that the regulations were not followed pertaining to multiple game footballs that were underinflated in the AFC playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the New...
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Why is the Discount Challenge prize amount $15,024? Because that is the average “per-occurrence” fine for Medicare inducements. That’s not $15,024 per patient, that’s not per provider, that’s PER VISIT. Stinks, doesn’t it? To us, the prize amount is worth the investment if we can help our profession better understand proper discounting.