Vital Lines: Oct. 15, 2009
Practice Management
Blues Report Theft of Physicians' Personal Information
A laptop containing personal information for hundreds of thousands of physicians, including many in Pennsylvania, has been stolen.
Providers Required to Notify Patients of Security Breaches
Health care providers are now required to notify patients of breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI), including paper records and unencrypted electronic PHI.
Reimbursement & Coding
IBC to Return Physician Repayments by November
Reimbursement checks will be issued by Nov. 16, 2009, for physicians who repaid or were offset by Independence Blue Cross (IBC) for 51 modifier overpayments made between January and September 2007.
Insurers Release Reimbursement Details for H1N1 Vaccine
The federal government is providing the H1N1 influenza vaccine for free, but physicians may still submit claims for reimbursement for administering the vaccine.
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FAQ
If you choose the 30 consecutive patients reporting option for participation in PQRI and you miss or drop a patient in the process, can you start again?
No, you only get one shot at getting it right. If you miss even one patient—for example, patient number 14—then you cannot start again. You need to switch to the 80 percent sample method or select another measures group.
Member resources
Sage SOLION—Innovative ideas, programs, and products designed to improve practice management efficiency. Visit http://www.solion.com/ or call (800) 707-5310.
Medical Office Staff Salary and Benefits Report—Compares salary and benefit information for 26 job classifications for more than 32 specialties in eight regions across Pennsylvania. Visit www.pamedsoc.org/store.
Last Updated: 10/15/2009