04.02.18

How the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act May Affect Physician Practice Owners

Signed into law this past December, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is the most sweeping federal tax legislation since 1986. It includes significant changes for individual taxpayers, many of which will have a major impact on higher-income taxpayers, such as physician practice owners. Here are some of the most notable changes.Signed into law this past December, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is the most sweeping federal tax legislation since 1986. It includes significant changes for individual taxpayers, many of which will have a major impact on higher-income taxpayers, such as physician practice owners. Here are some of the most notable changes.

03.05.18

Private Practice Owner or Hospital Employee?
Jason Flahive

More physicians are currently employed by hospitals or medical practices than ever before, while fewer are in private practice. According to a 2016 Medscape report, physicians as a group have shifted from private practice to being employed with the rate of employed physicians growing by more than 30% from 2000 through 2016.

10.11.17

Should You Outsource Billing?
Greg Koelling

Deciding to handle your billing in-house or hire an outside billing company is an important decision with significant implications for your practice’s long-term financial health. It is a good idea to look at all of the pros and cons to ensure your decision is the right one.

10.10.17

How to Control Overhead Costs

You cannot control costs if you do not know what they are. Unfortunately, many medical practices do not have enough granularity in their budgets to determine what is actually going on, let alone where to start making cuts if needed.

08.17.17

Buy-Sell and Partnership Agreements Can Keep Things Running Smoothly

One of the more common transactions that occurs in any business is new owners buying in, while established owners are bought out. Medical practices are no exception. The existence of buy-sell agreements which spell out the terms under which these transactions will occur can make these transitions in the practice much easier.

07.27.17

Physician, Heal Thyself! Ten Steps to Help Avoid Burnout

Each and every day, physicians face unprecedented work stresses. Included are the ever demanding responsibility for their patient’s health and well-being, coupled with long working hours, sleep disruption, making life and death decisions, and navigating a complex and ever changing health care system. Facing these ever-present and unrelenting pressures can lead to “physician burnout.” This article suggests some steps that can help combat burnout, including accepting limitations, finding a niche and developing a support system.

06.30.17

Should You Rent or Purchase Your Practice Facility?
Jason Flahive

Whether they are just opening a new practice or building a current one, physicians may need to assess whether owning or renting medical office space best serves their needs and those of their colleagues, employees and patients. This article explains some pros and cons of both owning and renting, as well as provides some helpful pointers in making this important decision. A Sidebar provides an equation for determining the amount of space needed for a new or expanding practice.

05.25.17

Should I Implement Third-Party Billing for My Health Care Practice?
Amanda Gutierrez

Physician practices tend to struggle frequently with the decision about whether or not they should outsource their billing processes. It can be quite the balancing act weighing the pros and cons. What is good for one practice might not work for another. This article goes over a few considerations health care practitioners should take when deliberating third-party billing.

04.26.17

What Can You do to Prevent Employee Fraud?
Greg Koelling

It is important for medical professionals to be aware of the potential for employee fraud in their practices and to ensure that their internal controls are designed to provide maximum protection. This article explains the most common types of employee fraud and lists several steps management can take to keep it from happening, such as conducting a risk assessment, separating staff duties and monitoring employee behavior.

03.31.17

The Power of Delegating: Improving Practice Efficiency

From a business perspective, spending too much time on non-medical concerns can reduce a practice’s efficiency and profits in the long run. This brief article points out that physicians need to delegate responsibilities so that they spend less time taking care of financial, recordkeeping or other functions unrelated to their medical responsibilities, and more time performing the duties of a physician.