Dec 19, 2012 | Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Uncategorized
Change in who owns office-based physician groups is a trend which can create new winners and losers among the nation’s independent medical laboratories
Physicians today are more willing to practice medicine as employees than as partners or owners of their medical group. This signals a significant shift in the market for clinical laboratory testing and anatomic pathology services.
This new development will require that all medical laboratory organizations to rethink how they serve office-based physicians. New strategies will be required, both to better meet the clinical service needs of these employee-physicians, as well as to redirect sales and marketing programs to the new decision makers. (more…)
Oct 3, 2012 | Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology
As they hire young pathologists, pathology groups and clinical laboratories will need to factor in the generational preferences of these Gen Y physicians
Generation Y doctors take a much different approach to the practice of medicine than the Gen X and Baby Boomer doctors who preceded them. It will be important for clinical laboratories and pathology groups serving Gen Y physicians to understand these important differences.
While Gen Y doctors remain just as dedicated to the high standards of medicine as their predecessors, the current crop of young doctors approach the practice of medicine with a much broader world-view than previous generations of physicians, according to a recent story in Modern Healthcare (MH). (more…)
Aug 27, 2012 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Management and Operations, Laboratory News, Laboratory Operations, Laboratory Pathology, News From Dark Daily
Fewer office-based physicians practice as a partner or shareholder in their medical group
For decades, the clinical laboratory industry has relied on the medical lab test referrals of office-based physicians as its primary source of patient specimens and revenue. The dominant business model of office-based physicians during these decades has been that of physicians as partners in private practice groups or as shareholders in professional corporations.
Similarly, over the past four decades, the profession of pathology has been dominated by the business model of partner-pathologists in a private group practice or professional corporation. But evidence continues to accumulate that the heyday of private practice anatomic pathology is soon to end.
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Aug 15, 2012 | Coding, Billing, and Collections, Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory News, Laboratory Pathology
It is not known whether any clinical laboratories or pathologists are plaintiffs in this unusual lawsuit of providers versus health insurer
When it comes to out-of-network policies, clinical laboratories clinical laboratory are not the only unhappy class of providers. In California, a coalition of healthcare organizations, physicians, and providers is suing the nation’s third-largest health insurer for its policies and practices relating to out-of-network providers.
It was in July when the Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA), California Medical Association (CMA), and various healthcare organizations and providers filed a lawsuit against Aetna Health of California, Inc. (Aetna CA). Aetna CA is a division of Aetna Health Management (NYSE:AET), based in Hartford, Conn. (more…)
May 11, 2012 | Compliance, Legal, and Malpractice, Laboratory Hiring & Human Resources, Laboratory Pathology
AMA opposition to ICD-10 deadline moves HHS to reconsider, while leaving some transition-ready providers rankled
When it comes to implementation of ICD-10 in the United States, the “do it later” crowd seems to have convinced the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of the need to once again move back the compliance date for ICD-10. On April 9, HHS announced a proposed rule to defer implementation by one year, with a new effective date of October 1, 2014.
Clinical laboratories and anatomic pathology groups have a big stake in a successful transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10. Among other reasons, Medicare Part B claims for medical laboratory tests must be submitted with an appropriate ICD code [provided by the physician who ordered the lab tests] for the clinical lab or pathology group to be paid by the Medicare program.
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