Have you sprung forward? By Joseph Andresen, MD
Editor, The Bulletin
JOSEPH S. ANDRESEN, MD
FROM THE
Have you sprung forward? Hopefully by now, we have adjusted to the time change and are enjoying the longer days and seasonal changes. Spring is here in Northern California! Certainly there is an ongoing concern of our continued drought and the realization that global climate change is upon us. Hopefully, there will be a continued and concerted effort to address this challenge with the same urgency that has been a call to action with recent public health crises such as Ebola, Alzheimer’s, and gun violence. Our March-April issue of the Bulletin highlights some timely and important topics. Are you getting proper payment from insurance companies for the care you render to patients? Are you getting your maximum in accounts receivable? These important issues are discussed in “Understanding Revenue Recovery” by Mark Christainsen. SCCMA members who are primary care providers don’t need to be told that they are on the front lines of mental health triaging and treatment. Over 50% of the population will have a mental health issue during one’s lifetime. Yet there is still a great stigma attached to mental illness that sets it apart from physical ailments. The importance of patient access, diagnosis, and proper treatment cannot be over emphasized. Read on to learn about “Each Mind Matters;” valuable tools and resources available to all physicians. Did you know that the deadline for implementing ICD-10 is this coming October, 2015? This will add over 68,000 diagnostic codes vs. the current ICD-9 listing of 13,000 codes. There are important strategies to prepare for these changes. This involves a proactive approach to meet compliance and facilitate proper reimbursement.
EDITOR'S DESK
Physician Editor, The Bulletin
Joseph S. Andresen, MD, is the editor of The Bulletin. He is board certified in anesthesiology and is currently practicing in the Santa Clara Valley area.
MARCH / APRIL 2015 | THE BULLETIN | 5