The insurance “game” has ever changing “rules” and is more and more difficult to play… well, play well. There are no “cheats” to get to the next level. The only certainty in dealing with insurance carriers is clearly stated while you wait on hold; “Approval is not a guarantee of payment.” Years ago (almost a…

Have you ever visited a DSW Shoe Store or a restaurant with a nine page menu and felt overwhelmed by too many options? Me too. Podiatrists may also be providing patients with too many options. Last week I was creating an in-office dispensing training for a multiple provider practice, and I asked the manager to take a…

I previously wrote a Pro Tip about not allowing employees to overstay their welcome (referring to “golf carts that came with the house” – if you don’t know what that means go back and give it a read or listen to the webinar recording from last week “Pro Tip Favorites”). Today, I’m writing about the opposite, new hire warning signs,…

My husband and I just bought a new house (not new, but new to us) and were excited to get settled and make a few cosmetic changes. For those who know me personally you probably guessed that painting was high on my list. For those who don’t, let’s just say that when I sell a home…

In busy clinics we often lose sight of the fact that although in theory “everyone’s time is equally as valuable,” the doctor’s time is actually worth the most (financially). If the doctor is not moving and being productive, the practice is not producing. Think about it, how often are you performing tasks that did not require you to go…

When your mother visits from Florida and you live on the South Shore of Massachusetts, lobster is a requirement for dinner one night (in addition to Chinese food of course). This time I decided to take the “easy” way out and have it steamed for us before we brought it home (mostly to keep that “fresh cooked lobster”…

Happy Monday! Thank you if you opened this email to read today’s Pro Tip. This one is reflective of one of my pet peeves. I’m guessing however that those who are guilty of what I am about to discuss will not read this. For those who are,  let me explain. . . I receive LOTS of…

During a recent team training session, we reviewed telephone triage techniques, tricks for obtaining the true chief complaint and tips for narrowing down the most pressing issue during evaluation. In most practices, if staff members aren’t properly educated, there is often a discrepancy between what is recorded in the schedule, what the patient relays to the…