Practice Management

"The potential GOP tax bill makes it difficult to know exactly how the landscape will look in 2018... nevertheless, there are some items you can take care of before the end of the year that can impact your 2017 taxes and overall financial plan," write Jeff Witz, CFP, and David Zemon.

In this article, we provide a summary of CPT changes for 2018, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule final rule, and the final rule for the Quality Payment Program.

"This survey adds to the growing body of evidence that a significant percentage of physicians, including urologists, continue to see shortcomings in their EHRs," writes Robert A. Dowling, MD.

In this "Malpractice Consult" column, Dawn Collins, JD, also discusses cases involving penile pain following cystoscopy, alleged failure to diagnose kidney obstruction, and death follow stent placement.

A month after Hurricane Harvey’s aftermath, Houston-based urologist Steven Canfield, MD, says his practice is still having to reschedule operating room times to help out with the hurricane-induced OR shortage.

"Urologists need to be ever more vigilant to protect the private information under their custodianship," writes Robert A. Dowling, MD.

"Incidental radiology findings are low-hanging fruit that organizations should develop processes for handling proactively," writes Brianne Goodwin, JD, RN.

Other products and services discussed in this round-up include a biosimilar for cancer, an American College of Surgeons manual on quality initiatives, a kidney cancer microsite, and more.

James M. Hotaling, MD, MS, and Steven A. Kaplan, MD, introduce their new Urology Times section "Tech Talk with Jim and Steve."

Among the many areas of telemedicine, a key opportunity exists for urologists in video visits, or “direct-to-consumer” telemedicine.

Some urology practices may be contemplating delivering chronic care management services to eligible patients, and this article will answer key questions about the program and features to consider when making that decision.

This article provides an overview of the new 2018 ICD-10-CM codes, revisions, and deletions that are relevant to urology practice.

There are several options for saving for retirement, but first develop a good understanding of how these retirement accounts work to get the most out of your savings.

Other pipeline developments include an agent to control pain in IC/BPS patients, an antibody to treat prostate and bladder cancer, an injectable OAB treatment, and more.

The proposed rule for MACRA and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System program was released June 21, 2017-- As expected, the program requiring the implementation of the new MIPS scoring system and incentives to move to alternative payment models will continue.

The chances of needing long-term disability insurance are higher than you might think and can be worth the expense

Other products discussed include cancer tests, an app to connect patients with specialists, a revenue management system, and more

Other pipeline developments include a new company formed to develop OAB treatments, a phase III urothelial cancer study meeting its primary endpoint, the formation of a partnership to study RCC treatment, and more.

As some assets appreciate in value and others lose value, your portfolio’s allocation changes. Rebalancing is the remedy for asset drift and an important part of maintaining a healthy investment portfolio.

The practical application of medical necessity has taken many forms, and in this increasingly complex world of health care, understanding these applications has become a critical component of your business.

Following some basic guidelines will ensure the beneficiary designations you make are accurate and up to date.