Practice Management
The weather may be lagging to catch up, but preparation for spring sports is well underway in schools across the country. Some families may be lagging in getting their student athletes in for a preparticipation physical, as well. Now is the time to let them know you’re ready to help. PhysicianOne Urgent Care locations in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York are providing incentive for families to choose them by offering to conduct those physicals for …
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The number of nurse practitioners currently licensed to practice in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2007, with urgent care continuing to be a source of growth. Of the 248,000 NPs now practicing around the country, 5.9% (14,632) are caring for patients in urgent care centers, according to just-released data from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. AANP President Joyce Knestrick, PhD, APRN, DFNP, FAANP points to the growing shortage of physicians as evidence …
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Insurance claims for urgent care visits grew by 1,725% between 2007 and 2016—more than seven times the growth rate of claims for emergency room visits, according to new data from FAIR Health. The FH Medical Price Index and FH Healthcare Indicators reports also reveal that the median price for an urgent care visit is lower than the cost of new-patient visits to office-based physicians ($242 vs $294, respectively). Fair Health based its data on over …
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The White House and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services are promoting a move toward greater patient ownership of their own medical records—which would also bolster interoperability among providers, they say. If the MyHealthEData initiative is successful, its proponents say it could help save some of the 400,000 lives lost annually because providers don’t have timely access to a patient’s complete medical history. CMS Director Seema Verma framed the plan in the context of …
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The average wait times to see a physician across multiple settings dropped 5 minutes in 2017, compared with 2016, but patients continue to confirm that comparatively longer wait times most often equate to lower satisfaction with their overall experience. Given that convenience is one key attribute of urgent care, this offers insight into the ongoing growth of the industry. The most recent data from the Medical Group Management Association reveal that the average wait time …
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At least 85 patients known to have consumed kratom have been diagnosed with salmonellosis in 35 states since February 12, leading federal and state health officials to advise all individuals to stop taking kratom products. The FDA and several states have tested multiple kratom products; 25 were positive for Salmonella. Further testing is planned, according to the FDA. Kratom is used as an herbal drug in parts of Asia, and for self-medicating and recreationally in …
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UnitedHealthcare (UHC) just launched a new protocol for evaluating emergency room claims that it says will encourage accurate coding by providers and ultimately bring down healthcare costs. Some hospitals view it as just another way to deny claims, however—and one that could actually end up costing patients more money, at that. Under the policy that took effect on March 1, UHC reviews and maintains the right to adjust or deny claims for ED visits coded …
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Offering lab testing on site in your urgent care location can be a great convenience for patients and a boon for business—as long as you know what you’re getting into. The Urgent Care Association will offer some insights in a webinar led by CLIA expert Milly Keeler, BSMT, CLC, CCCP on Thursday, April 5 at 1 pm, Central. She’ll share her vast knowledge of regulatory requirements concerning laboratory testing, as well as CLIA requirements for …
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Efforts to reduce access to opioid medications for acute pain have varied greatly from state to state, in spite of President Trump’s declaration that related addiction and deaths constitute a public health emergency. Now, a bipartisan bill just introduced in Congress would impose a national policy if it passes, restricting prescriptions for opioids for acute pain to 3 days (ample for the urgent care setting). Significantly, the bill would also authorize adding $1 billion to …
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Physicians have a natural inclination to help others; that’s why most chose medicine as a career, after all. Even with a full-time workload, some find they still want more time to share their expertise for the benefit of patients in need of care. Lynette Morrison, MD is one of them. The MedExpress Urgent Care provider has made six trips to treat patients around the world with a “medical mission” organization called International Medical Relief (IMR). …
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