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In this installment in a series on MACRA, I will review the definition of APMs, how participating providers would be reimbursed under MACRA (as proposed), and the relevance to specialists, including urologists.

By now, most of you are relatively fluent in the urology diagnosis codes that affect payment for the services provided in the urology office. Of course, we are now facing the end of the ICD-10 “grace period,” and fears of denials for bad diagnosis codes are once again starting to circulate. This begs the question, what should you do now?

You can withdraw money from an IRA at any time and for any reason, but it's important to keep in mind that most IRA withdrawals are at least partially taxable.

Other products discussed in this roundup include a plasma vaporization device, a laser fiber safety device, and more.

In this "Coding Q&A" column, Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter also answer a question about how to code for cystoscopy with stent removal through the stoma in a patient with an ileal loop.

In this second installment in a series, Robert A. Dowling, MD, addresses who is covered by MIPS, how and when you will be measured, and how and when you will receive your payment adjustment.

Decisions regarding wills, living trusts, and power of attorney are critical when forming a blended family, according to Joel M. Blau, CFP, and Ronald J. Paprocki, JD, CFP, CHBC.

One of the greatest benefits of being covered under a high-deductible health plan is generally the ability to open a health savings account and receive tax-preferred treatment on money saved for medical expenses.

In a series of articles this year, Robert A. Dowling, MD, will examine what you need to know about the law, what the CMS proposed rule for implementation implies for the near and long-term future, and-when it is issued later this year-what the final rule means to your urology practice.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a proposed rule regarding the implementation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015. This article will summarize some of the details of the proposed rule, including an outline of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of the key components of MACRA.

The next few years may bring more change for urologists in a more compressed time frame than ever before. Could a perfect storm be brewing, and what should you be doing about it?

Medicare Part B charges and payments constitute a significant fraction of the typical urology practice’s income, and owners of these practices should be aware of the pertinent rules and regulations-and the consequences of failure to comply with them.

The Painters offer some suggestions on how to tackle phase II of ICD-10 coding.

"Money Matters" columnists Joel M. Blau, CFP, and Ronald J. Paprocki, JD, CFP, CHBC, discuss irrevocable life insurance trusts as well as what happens when someone dies without leaving a will.

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 was signed into law on Dec. 18, 2015. The law renews a long list of tax breaks known as “extenders” that have been expiring on an annual basis.

In this article, I will describe some nuances of buy and bill that you should understand in your roles of small business owner and treatment provider, especially as it pertains to Medicare.

In this latest installment of "Coding Q&A," Ray Painter, MD, and Mark Painter also discuss compensation plans and answer a question regarding CPT 76942 and 50200.

No one can predict with any great certainty the financial outlook for 2016, especially with the national elections looming in November. Nevertheless, certain money management strategies make sense every year.

In this article, Robert A. Dowling, MD, addresses common questions and answers on patient access to protected health information-recently released by the government-to help your office manage this common task in a compliant fashion.

Dawn Collins, JD, also writes about a lawsuit in which a patient sued over an alleged failure to diagnose Fournier's gangrene.

The federal government’s aggressive timeline for full Stage 3 implementation of meaningful use in 2018 seemed to derail on Jan. 11 when Acting CMS Administrator Andy Slavitt declared that the program would come to an end this year. Now that the news has settled, urologists are among those who think meaningful use is very much alive, but evolving, and urologists and other physicians should not change EHR course, just yet.

There are several very detailed steps that we will combine into 11 separate functions that have to be performed in a prompt and accurate fashion in order to submit a clean claim and be paid in a timely fashion.

When Dr. Painter started practice during the early 1970s in a small town in western Colorado, the entire billing and collections process was much simpler.

Check out the latest new products. From Single-use ureteroscope addresses shortcomings of reusable scopes, to an App that helps IC, chronic prostatitis patients choose the right foods and much more.

Henry Rosevear, MD, recently read what he felt was 2015's best article on the business of health care.

The HHS Office of the Inspector General work plan for fiscal year 2016 includes a number of topics of interest to urologists, which is my focus in this article.

In this "Coding Q&A" column, the Painters also the explain difference between CPT codes 74420 and 74450.

Other pipeline products discussed in this article include an immunotherapy for metastatic bladder cancer, a treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms of BPH, and an investigational clear cell renal cell carcinoma treatment.