issue-17-2017

Legal Ease When confronted with ever-evolving coding and documentation requirements, and the stiff penalties for non-compliance, it’s not surprising that many chiropractors would happily opt out of Medicare if given the opportunity. Many myths surround Medicare reimbursement, leaving chiropractors unsure as to what their requirements are. This confusion is compounded by the fact that, while it is a federal program, Medicare is administered regionally. Policies can vary from state to state, requiring providers to be aware of the local policies that may impact their practice.

Marketing Matters The expression “fake news” has become part of the modern lexicon, lately swirling around the topic of politics. But regardless of one’s political stance, it pays to turn toward authoritative sources, usually in the news media, for daily information. With the expansion of social media, however, news platforms have broadened immensely. Many would argue that this expansion has watered down the quality of reported news. This is important, because the internet now determines many aspects of life. But not everything on the internet is true.

Marketing Matters If you told a family-owned bakery that they had to pay the current rates for their lease, utilities, employees, and ingredients, but had to sell their baked goods at the average price that they cost in 1980, they’d tell you to get lost. How could they stay in business if they were making wages from decades ago? Even though this scenario sounds crazy, most chiropractors as healthcare providers are living it every single day. The typical DC has an idea of how a traditional practice has to look and operate. There has to be a waiting room, a reception area, and multiple treatment rooms.

Practice Central As a chiropractor, the weight of your practice is on your shoulders. While chiropractic school taught you how to be a good doctor, it probably didn’t teach you how to run your own practice. And as your business grows, it’s important to be able to balance both sides of the equation. Your business needs to provide quality patient care to continue operating, yet there’s the marketing, billing, insurance, compliance, training, and other critical aspects that affect your practice. The most critical component of running a clinic efficiently is training.

Feature Do you know everything you need to know about documentation and coding to enable your claims to be accepted the first time? According to the Office of Inspector General (OIG), nearly $360 million—or approximately 82 percent—of the $440 million paid by Medicare in 2013 for chiropractic services was unallowable. After this investigation, “We, as chiropractors, have been on the OIG workplan since then. OIG is going after the top 10 percent of all Medicare healthcare providers.” But the vast majority of chiropractors are honest, professional practitioners. So why are these issues occurring?