Contracts

Here's how to avoid a potentially expensive mistake by misclassifying an employee versus a contractor.

What you need to do, see, hear, and understand before signing anything.

Penny Noyes, president of Health Business Navigators and a speaker at the MGMA11 Conference, provides tips and tools to use when renegotiating payer agreements.

As medical reimbursements continue to dwindle, the value proposition for participating in insurance plans becomes increasingly weak. Why not break with tradition and contract directly with employers? Here's how to get started.

Are you ready to make social media platforms part of your practice? Make sure you put reasonable constraints in place.

Are you nearing contract negotiation time? Make sure you understand what you’re reading before you sign. Here’s a detailed analysis of what should and shouldn’t be in your next binding agreement.

Imagine that you're going to your favorite restaurant tonight for their chef's signature dish. Assuming the most likely sequence of events, you will arrive, get seated, place your order, enjoy a great meal, and then depart. There is an implied contract between you and the chef: the chef will prepare a perfect meal, serve it on time, and provide superb service and you will exhibit good manners, pay the bill, and perhaps extol the restaurant to your friends. ...Many aspects of healthcare delivery and business operations can be re-imagined in terms of this metaphor.

You did it. You landed your dream job. The offer is in hand. You've met the staff. And you can already picture your name displayed on the front office door. A little advice? Don't pop the champagne bottle just yet. There's still plenty of work to be done.

Practices might not be forced to sell out to hospitals, but they will need an alignment strategy, argues expert Marc Halley, MBA, because physician-hospital alignment is here to stay. Here's advice on picking the right partner.

Negotiating rates with your payers is important, but so is the language in your contracts. Practices can face a number of possibly adverse provisions that could contradict practice policies and cause confusion with patients. But how do you discover and address such provisions?

If you can't verify a patient's insurance, their signature on this form shows they know they are responsible for payment.

Ask staff to sign this agreement, showing that they understand the need to protect patient confidentiality.

Specialists, use this waiver if a patient forgot his referral. It says that the patient agrees to pay for services rendered that are not covered by his managed care company.

Is your practice “Red Flags” ready? Here are several forms to help you develop a policy to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Red Flags Rule, which requires creditors to implement programs to prevent and detect identity theft. Here you’ll find a document with a policy, board resolution, and contract addendum. Just replace “Our Medical Group” with the name of your practice, and you’re on your way.

Do you know what’s in your partnership contract? Poorly designed or nonexistent contracts can spell disaster for you and your practice. Here’s how to make sure you’re protected.

Records Release Form -- Spanish

Referral Waiver -- Spanish

Consent to Treat -- Spanish

Consent to Treat

Records Release Form

If you can't verify a patient's insurance, their signature on this form shows they know they are responsible for payment.

This Advance Beneficiary Notice form, created by CMS, is best managed by the clinical team at your medical practice versus the front office staff.

One partner wants to retire; the other two want to buy him out. The only problem: They can’t agree on the terms, and things are getting heated.