The numbers jump out at you. Steven Peltz, CHBC, a leading practice management consultant, estimates that over 40 percent of an average practice’s accounts receivable are over 90 days old. As Peltz points out, this may signify a lack of a sound process for collecting on overdue accounts or perhaps less effort in collecting on older claims and denials as they may be more difficult and time-consuming than collecting on more recent claims.

     This is one of the salient points that emerges from Peltz’s cover story, “In-House Billing: Assessing The Pros

     The excitement has been building for months. The whole family has been packing, reviewing brochures, talking about the spectacular scenery and preparing for what they expect to be the vacation of a lifetime. The day of departure arrives and the whole family loads into the packed station wagon for the fun-filled, two-week adventure. Starting down the road, you have a general idea of the direction of your destination but nothing more. Who needs a map? Just head south and ask at convenience stores along the way. The locals are always helpful.

     Would you e

      “No one will care about collecting your money more than you.” While that may seem to be stating the obvious, it puts all owners of practices in the position of making the decision as to who will take on this task. Do you delegate this critical task to a key member of your office staff or do you farm it out to an outside billing company?

     Whatever decision you make, it is essential to monitor the situation, gauging the effectiveness of your billing and collections, and the impact upon your practice.

     In some circumstances, it

     The rapid rise in the incidence of diabetes, a serious lifelong condition, is of alarming concern to healthcare professionals. Recent data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that approximately 20.8 million people, roughly 7 percent of the United States population, have diabetes.¹ In 2005 alone, 1.5 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older.¹ Diabetes mellitus is a multifaceted disease and foot ulceration, which often results in lower extremity amputations, is one of the most common comp

     Plantar plate derangement with synovitis of the metatarsophalangeal joint complex is a progressively degenerative condition with an inflammatory component.¹ Recent clinical experience suggests that one can treat these pathologies successfully using plasma-mediated, radiofrequency-based microdebridement.

     While the plantar plate of the metatarsophalangeal joint shows signs of degeneration, the metatarsophalangeal joint complex itself is inflamed (i.e. synovitis). Clinicians often find this condition in conjunction with the triad of hallux ab