Q.Why is the (E/M) code important in urgent care? A.Because the majority of urgent care revenue is derived from E/M codes (mostly codes 99210-99215), accurate E/M coding is the most important coding variable in urgent care revenue. Inaccurate E/M coding is, also, the number-one reason that urgent care centers run into compliance issues with payors and regulatory agencies. Q.I see that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) lists two sets of guidelines, 1995 …
Read MoreInformed Consent and Treating Minors in Urgent Care
STATES HAVE ENACTED STATUTES, and courts have proffered an abundance of case law on the treatment of minors. There have been no reports of physicians being held liable for rendering emergent or urgent care to minors prior to obtaining parental consent. Still, informed consent issues surrounding the care and treatment of minors are often a source of confusion and are, at best, problematic. Essentially, competency to give consent is determined in the same way for …
Read MoreThe Emergence of Retail Clinics
Urgent message: Retail-based healthcare clinics are a growing phenomenon. A report from the California HealthCare Foundation, excerpted here, says public perception is split, and their economic viability remains to be seen. How do their services stack up against those offered by urgent care? The first in-store clinics appeared in 2000 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) metropolitan area and were operated by QuickMedx, which later became Minute- Clinic. The company’s founder, Rick Krieger, says the business …
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The Emergence of Retail Clinics
Urgent message: Retail-based healthcare clinics are a growing phenomenon. A report from the California HealthCare Foundation, excerpted here, says public perception is split, and their economic viability remains to be seen. How do their services stack up against those offered by urgent care? The first in-store clinics appeared in 2000 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN) metropolitan area and were operated by QuickMedx, which later became Minute-Clinic. The company’s founder, Rick Krieger, says the business idea …
Read MoreDeveloping a Marketing Mindset for Occupational Medicine Services
From a business perspective, successful operation of an urgent care clinic is predicated on the owner’s ability to promote services in an aggressive and meaningful, yet cost effective, manner. This necessity is even more pronounced when occupational health services are included in the mix because such a “blended clinic” deals with two different prospect universes. The starting point in promoting an urgent care practice is to develop and commit to a forward-thinking marketing mindset.
Read MoreDeveloping Data: October, 2006
Occ Med Programs Need Business Plans, Too
In all likelihood, you wouldn’t dream of opening a new urgent care clinic without first putting together a business plan. Doesn’t it make sense that key aspects of your overall business would benefit from the same careful planning? Data from the Urgent Care Association of America indicate that over 60% of urgent care companies offer at least some occupational medicine services; nearly 5% of locations offer occ med exclusively. Putting a business plan for your …
Read MoreProtecting Yourself Against Medical Malpractice Claims
We live and practice medicine in a litigious society. How, then, can providers protect themselves against the threat of financial ruin due to malpractice payouts? The first and most obvious answer is to not commit malpractice; more about that in a moment. The next most likely answer is for providers to purchase malpractice insurance with limits set high enough to protect their personal assets. The median medical malpractice award tripled between 1997 and 2004. By …
Read MoreUrgent Care Services Rendered
UCA’S SURVEY COMMITTEE drew two important conclusions from its first industry-wide survey: urgent care is a growing industry nationwide, and those within the industry are hungry for benchmarking data. In each issue of JUCM, Developing Data will seek to fulfill that need. In this issue, a look at the breadth of services offered by respondents to the survey:
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