As you know, 2016 is a big year for HIPAA compliance audits. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR), mandated to conduct random audits under the HITECH Act, gave plenty of warning that this year's random compliance audits would begin with a renewed focus on smaller practices (15 or fewer providers) and include Business Associates (BAs) in the audit protocols.
If you're trying to keep a steady stream of new patients calling your office, the following statistics ought to be a wake-up call:
No matter your political persuasion, there's enough available data to make the case either way. The law's proponents point to the uninsured rate of 11%, the lowest in over eight years, and down 6.1% since Obamacare's individual mandate took effect.
Prior authorizations are the bane of primary care providers everywhere, sucking up time and valuable resources from both your the front and back office staff. You've probably given more than passing thought to the irritations involved in the process, but you probably haven't considered the impact on your bottom line.
Just a couple of decades ago getting credentialed with an insurance panel wasn't so critical to a practice's success. Patients didn't expect that every doctor would accept their insurance, not every service was covered by insurance (think chiropractic care, mental health, and substance abuse, for example), and most insurance plans offered some out-of-network benefits so you could grow your practice even without enrolling in every plan.
