Common practice operations questions
Below are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about physician practice operations, such as how to increase practice efficiency, improve patient experience, and find the right tools and resources to suit your practice’s needs. For each question, you’ll find links to AMA resources, tip sheets, educational tools, or contact information to help you find a solution.
Q: Does the AMA have guidelines for online patient consultations?
A: Refer to the resource “Online medical consultations: Connecting physicians with patients
Q: What should I look for when selecting an ePrescribing solution for my practice?
A: Refer to the AMA’s ePrescribing Learning Center, an online resource providing a comprehensive and easy-to-use overview of the ePrescribing process, the Medicare ePrescribing incentive program, and other key topics and questions
Q: What should I look for when selecting a practice management system for my practice?
A: Refer to the toolkit “Selecting a Practice Management Software,” designed by the AMA and the Medical Group Management Association. This toolkit collects of host of resources designed to help you research and identify the most appropriate PMS for your practice – including a step-by-step guide, a directory of software options, and an archived webinar.
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: Can you help me improve our claims revenue cycle?
- Refer to the documents Prepare, Follow and Appeal that Claim
Q: What should I look for when selecting a credit or debit card merchant agreement for my practice?
A: Refer to the document “Shopping for a credit or debit card merchant agreement: Guidelines for physicians”, and save thousands of dollars a year on what you are spending today.
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: What should I look for when selecting a practice management system for my practice?
A: Refer to the toolkit “Selecting a Practice Management Software,” developed by the AMA and the Medical Group Management Association. This toolkit collects of host of resources designed to help you research and identify the most appropriate PMS for your practice – including a step-by-step guide, a directory of software options, and an archived webinar.
Q: How do I enroll with public payers such as Medicare?
A: The AMA has prepared several tools and guides to help practices navigate the necessary steps for working with Medicare and other public payers. Visit the Enrollment and Credentialing Center for an overview of this process and how AMA can help.
Q: What do I need to know about obtaining a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number?
A: All physicians and their practices must have a National Provider Identifier (NPI) number. To learn more, visit the AMA’s National Provider Identifier resource.
Q: Do I need a DEA number? What do I need to know about obtaining one?
A: Physicians that want to be able to prescribe controlled substances must have a current DEA number. To learn more, visit “DEA Issues” contained within the AMA’s Advocacy with the Administration resource.
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: What can I do to limit a patient's frustration when dealing with payment of medical services?
- Familiarize yourself with the resource “Helping your patients understand their billing and payment responsibilities”
- Provide patients with the educational flyer “Understanding your health insurance policy and payment practices”
- Ease the payment process for your patients by offering credit and debit card transactions. Learn more by reading “Shopping for a credit or debit card merchant agreement: Guidelines for physicians”
- Consider “Cash practice alternatives” for your practice
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: How do I manage my online reputation?
A: Refer to the AMA resource, "Managing your reputation," to learn about improving and managing your online reputation.
Q: How do I maintain a good reputation among patients and prospective patients?
A: Maintaining a great reputation among your patients requires a long-term commitment to high-quality, efficient and empathetic care. However, there are some steps you can take right now to make sure you are on the right track to a stellar reputation. The AMA resource, "Managing your reputation," explains these steps, as well as how you can manage your online reputation.
Q: What can I do to limit a patient's frustration when dealing with payment of medical services?
- Refer to the document “Helping your patients understand their billing and payment responsibilities”
- Review and make available the flyer “Understanding your health insurance policy and payment practices,” a brief resource designed to educate patients
- Refer to the document “Shopping for a credit or debit card merchant agreement: Guidelines for physicians”
Q: How can I track patient feedback?
A: Take advantage of RealTime, an online patient experience survey tool developed by the AMA and Press Gainey Associates, Inc. Collect and evaluate your patients’ feedback proactively, and learn directly from the source how your practice can improve to better meet the needs of your patients.
Q: How can I improve my appointment scheduling process?
- Refer to the document “Appointment Scheduling to Improve Your Bottom Line”
- Refer to the resource “Online medical consultations: Connecting physicians with patients”
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: How can I track patient feedback?
A: Take advantage of RealTime, an online patient experience survey tool developed by the AMA and Press Gainey Associates, Inc. Collect and evaluate your patients’ feedback proactively, and learn directly from the source how your practice can improve to better meet the needs of your patients.
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: What can I do about physician data generated from health insureres and other reporting bodies?
A: Public and private health insurers are increasingly using physician data to drive their decision-making processes on new payment methodologies, network design, patient education, and health services availability and delivery. In addition, they are using performance data to rate the quality and efficiency of physicians. Three resources from the AMA are designed to help physicians access these data and strategically use them to improve practice efficiency and delivery of care, as well as ensure that payers and other reporting bodies are not misusing the information.
Take Charge of Your Data is a guidebook designed to help physicians understand and verify the accuracy of complex physician data reports used to profile physicians. The guidebook was created to be used in tandem with the AMA’s Standardized Physician Data Report, which provides a uniform format for displaying physician data. Used together, these resources provide physicians with a roadmap to understanding how to use the payer-provided data to verify the accuracy of their profiles and assist them in providing exemplary care to their patients. Additionally, through the creation of the Guidelines for Reporting Physician Data, the AMA is working to improve the quality and utility of physician data reports.
Visit www.ama-assn.org/go/physiciandata to access these resources and find additional information on how to use these exciting tools.
Q: What is open access scheduling and is it right for my practice?
A: The AMA's resource, "Open access scheduling: Could it improve your patients' experiences and your bottom line?", provides information on open access scheduling and the benefits and challenges associated with adopting this type of scheduling system.
Vist www.ama-assn.org/go/patientexperience to learn more about measuring patient satisfaction and improving your patients' experiences.
Q: What should I look for when selecting an ePrescribing solution for my practice?
A: Refer to the AMA’s ePrescribing Learning Center, an online resource providing a comprehensive and easy-to-use overview of the ePrescribing process, the Medicare ePrescribing incentive program, and other key topics and questions.
Q: Does the AMA have guidelines for online patient consultations?
A: Refer to the resource “Online medical consultations: Connecting physicians with patients”
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: What should I look for when selecting a practice management system for my practice?
A: Refer to the toolkit “Selecting a Practice Management Software,” designed by the AMA and the Medical Group Management Association. This toolkit collects of host of resources designed to help you research and identify the most appropriate PMS for your practice – including a step-by-step guide, a directory of software options, and an archived webinar.
Q: What should I look for when selecting a credit or debit card merchant agreement for my practice?
A: Refer to the document “Shopping for a credit or debit card merchant agreement: Guidelines for physicians”, and save thousands of dollars a year on what you are spending today.
Q: Can you help me improve our claims revenue cycle?
- Refer to the documents Prepare, Follow and Appeal that Claim
Q: What should I look for when selecting an ePrescribing solution for my practice?
A: Refer to the AMA’s ePrescribing Learning Center, an online resource providing a comprehensive and easy-to-use overview of the ePrescribing process, the Medicare ePrescribing incentive program, and other key topics and questions.
Q: How can I track patient feedback?
A: Take advantage of RealTime, an online patient experience survey tool developed by the AMA and Press Gainey Associates, Inc. Collect and evaluate your patients’ feedback proactively, and learn directly from the source how your practice can improve to better meet the needs of your patients.
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: What should I look for when selecting a practice management system for my practice?
A: Refer to the toolkit “Selecting a Practice Management Software,” designed by the AMA and the Medical Group Management Association. This toolkit collects of host of resources designed to help you research and identify the most appropriate PMS for your practice – including a step-by-step guide, a directory of software options, and an archived webinar.
Q: What should I look for when selecting a credit or debit card merchant agreement for my practice?
A: Refer to the document “Shopping for a credit or debit card merchant agreement: Guidelines for physicians”, and save thousands of dollars a year on what you are spending today.
Q: What should I look for when selecting a clearinghouse for my practice?
A: Refer to the document “What is a Clearinghouse?”
Q: What should I look for when selecting a billing service for my practice?
- Refer to the documents “What is a Medical Billing Service?” and “How to select a billing software vendor for the physician practice”
- Familiarize yourself with important data ownership and security issues by referring to the document “Data ownership issues for the physician practice and medical billing service”
Q: What should I look for when selecting a collection service for my practice?
- Refer to the document “How to Select a Collection Service”
- Learn more about the collections process by reviewing the resource “Internal collections in the physician practice”
Q: How can I learn about some of the practice management system and clearinghouse vendors offering workers' compensation electronic billing (eBilling) solutions?
A: Access the AMA's workers' compensation vendor directory, which introduces vendors that may assist physician practices in automating workers' compensation claims.
Q: How can I track patient feedback?A: Take advantage of RealTime, an online patient experience survey tool developed by the AMA and Press Gainey Associates, Inc. Collect and evaluate your patients’ feedback proactively, and learn directly from the source how your practice can improve to better meet the needs of your patients.
Q: What resources do you have to help me with implementing practice efficiencies?
A: The AMA has developed the “Heal the Claims Process”™ campaign to assist physicians and their practice staff with implementing practice efficiencies specifically tied to the claims process. You’ll find a series of comprehensive toolkits designed to help your practice adopt electronic transactions to streamline everything from transferring funds to verifying eligibility to submitting and reviewing your claims. Visit the Practice Management Center for additional resources to help implement efficiencies in the physician practice.
Q: What should I look for when selecting an ePrescribing solution for my practice?
A: Refer to the AMA’s ePrescribing Learning Center, an online resource providing a comprehensive and easy-to-use overview of the ePrescribing process, the Medicare ePrescribing incentive program, and other key topics and questions
Q: What should I look for when selecting a clearinghouse for my practice?
A: Refer to the document “What is a Clearinghouse?”
Q: What should I look for when selecting a billing service for my practice?
- Refer to the documents “What is a Medical Billing Service?” and “How to select a billing software vendor for the physician practice”
- Access “Data ownership issues for the physician practice and medical billing service” to familiarize yourself with important data ownership and security issues.
Q: What should I look for when selecting a collection service for my practice?
- Refer to the document “How to Select a Collection Service”
- Access the resource “Internal collections in the physician practice” to learn more about the collections process.
Q: How can I make sure my contract complies with the law?
- Refer to the documents “A guide to working with health plan representatives” and “15 questions to ask before signing a managed care contract.
- Refer to the National Managed Care Contract database to learn the payer’s legal requirements and responsibilities within your state as well as contract language you should look for.
Q: What should I look for when selecting a credit or debit card merchant agreement for my practice?
A: Refer to the document “Shopping for a credit or debit card merchant agreement: Guidelines for physicians”, and save thousands of dollars a year on what you are spending today.
Q: What do I do when a third-party payer is inappropriately applying physician discounts to my claim payments?
- Review the educational resource Appeal that Claim, in particular Step 5: “Identify the health insurer basis for the denied, delayed or partially paid claim”
- Download the template appeal letter “PPO discount taken when a contract does not exist,” which you can customize and submit to the payer
- Learn more from the “Physician and other health care provider contracting toolkit”, developed by the AMA and the American Association of Preferred Provider Organizations (AAPPO)
- File a complaint
- Access “Is your practice losing revenue through inappropriate health insurer adjustments?” for more information about the impact on your bottom line.
Q: What should I do if a third-party payer offers me expedited payment on a claim in exchange for a reduced payment amount?
A: Access the resource “Out-of-network payment challenges for the physician practice to learn step you can take.
