The deadline for switching to the new standards for electronic claims remains January 1, but CMS will delay enforcement until March 31.
Medscape Medical News

“Rare,” “historic,” “extraordinary,” and “defining moment” are some of the descriptions of a case that promises to mark the boundaries of federal power.
Medscape Medical News

The high court is expected to issue a decision next summer, on the eve of the 2012 presidential election.
Medscape Medical News

Waste in healthcare delivery; tort reform/deficit reduction; a medical malpractice expert speaks out; and a looming Supreme Court decision.
Medscape Business of Medicine

Leaders of organized medicine say the slightly less onerous reduction in reimbursement would still have devastating effects on practice finances and patient access to care.
Medscape Medical News

In a retrospective cohort study, hospitals in better compliance with the National Quality Forum patient safety practices did not have lower rates of infection or overall mortality.
Medscape Medical News

Fee for service is under attack, but its demise won’t be soon and it may never go completely away. Here’s where fee for service stands.
Medscape Business of Medicine

Runaway malpractice awards are a potential outcome of a trial, especially if the plaintiff is sympathetic. One type of legal agreement limits the award.
Medscape Business of Medicine

Malpractice insurance rates for obstetricians/gynecologists, general internists, and general surgeons fell for the fourth straight year, but only by 0.2%, according to Medical Liability Monitor.
Medscape Medical News

Doctors who want to leave their employer typically have to worry about restrictive covenants that could force them to relocate. In some situations, the agreement won’t hold up.
Medscape Business of Medicine

EHRs create numerous benefits, but some aspects of them can bog doctors down and make work difficult until all the kinks get worked out. Here’s what doctors are struggling with.
Medscape Business of Medicine

Smaller rural hospitals scored higher than the nation’s most highly regarded medical centers in following best-practice protocols, the report found.
Medscape Medical News

Physicians often complain that when using an EHR, they’re so busy typing that it’s hard to make good eye contact with patients. New voice recognition software holds promise, but is it there yet?
Medscape Business of Medicine

In vacating 2 lower-court decisions on the ACA, a US appeals court reaffirmed that a state cannot pass a law to nullify a federal law, and taxes cannot be challenged in court before they are collected.
Medscape Medical News

Roundup: Why do plaintiffs abandon claims?; Malpractice reform projects in limbo; A candidate lawyers love to hate; “No” to gun inquiries
Medscape Business of Medicine

Accountable care organizations will increasingly become part of more doctors’ lives, but they bring new risks of malpractice lawsuits and require increased attention to new areas.
Medscape Business of Medicine

A literature review showed that financial incentives account for only modest and spotty gains in quality. The review authors say these results are questionable because of study design flaws.
Medscape Medical News

It’s often difficult to have an adequate informed consent discussion. Plus, a patient’s recollection of the conversation may differ from yours. Here’s a way to reduce the risk.
Medscape Business of Medicine

Some ways to bring in more income are difficult or extensive, but a few small overlooked tactics can create a significant bottom-line increase.
Medscape Business of Medicine

In a fee-for-service system, the push by hospitals to hire physicians could boost spending, especially when physicians are pressed to order more expensive care, says a new study.
Medscape Medical News

Despite the high lifetime risk for litigation, most claims do not end with a payment to the plaintiff in the form of a settlement or jury award.
Medscape Medical News

Despite the high lifetime risk for litigation, most claims do not end with a payment to the plaintiff in the form of a settlement or jury award.
Medscape Medical News

Judges deciding malpractice cases; reducing diagnostic testing; “Show me your notes!” and more.
Medscape Business of Medicine

Fifty-two percent of physicians surveyed by a recruiting firm said the recession has altered their retirement plans, with 70% of them planning to work longer than expected to restore their nest eggs.
Medscape Medical News

A physician with a successful private practice gives the straight-on advice about increasing your income and lowering your costs.
Medscape Business of Medicine

CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, MD, said that Congress should not look for savings in the free preventive care benefit that 17 million Medicare beneficiaries used in the first half of 2011.
Medscape Medical News

New payment arrangements designed to lower costs may exert pressure on physicians to avoid various tests and procedures. But doctors are still subject to lawsuits for missing a diagnosis.
Medscape Business of Medicine

Many doctors feel demoralized, have lost their hope and ideals, and have emotionally disengaged from the practice of medicine. Here’s how they reinvigorate themselves.
Medscape Business of Medicine

Johns Hopkins Hospital tops the list of best hospitals compiled by US News & World Report for the 21st straight year, with the same cast of rivals close behind.
Medscape Medical News

Some reform proposals may improve primary care income; other suggested plans will lower reimbursement. Where will doctors come out in the balance?
Medscape Business of Medicine