1st July 2012 Electronic Patient Controlled Health Records are You Ready

CURRENT CIRCULATION: 7,897 DATE: 7 June 2012 ISSUE NO: 190

Welcome to Health & Life’s free email newsletter service. Share this with a friend. We would be happy to add their email address to the distribution list. This service is to provide Health and Life’s clients, those who attended our presentations and anyone who wants to be aware of community issues, with up to date information on key financial and practice management issues that may affect your practice. Please do not use this as a substitute to seeking professional advice.

Writer in charge: Mr David Dahm BA.Acc, FCPA, CTA, FTIA, Ffin, FAAPM, FGLF, Registered Tax Agent

1st July 2012 Electronic Patient Health Records - Are You Ready?

(New - The Business of Healthcare Video Series)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.

1st July 2012 Electronic Patient Controlled Health Records - Are You Ready?

(New - The Business of Healthcare Video Series)

2.

2012 Seminars and One to One Meetings – Thank You!

3.

Where to from here?

NEWS BREAK 1. 2012 Wage Increase – 2.9% A recent industrial relations decision has indicated the majority of Awards will result in employees receiving a 2.9% increase in wages in the private sector. The Awards have not been updated yet. This is due on the 21st June 2012. Get ready to update your payroll systems from 1st July.

We will update you in our next edition which Awards are affected. Practices that have purchased, and have properly implemented our employment kit, have the option to absorb the increase in any over award payments detailed in a signed employment agreement.

For a cost effective solution, if you wish to purchase a kit with completed job descriptions covering receptionists to practice managers, nurses, allied health and doctors, click here

employment kit. By working within the Fair Work Australia guidelines avoid unnecessary scrutiny.

2. Nurses Award Wage Claim Progress 2011 The Fair Work Tribunal met last Friday. Up to 700 Victorian practices have not seeked representation with the Australian Nursing Federations ‘low paid claim’ action on all healthcare practices that employ nurses in Victoria. The NSW and Tasmania action is pending.

We are on a pro bono basis representing a number of practices. The Commissioner has expressed concern, quite a large number of practices have not sought representation. This means a default judgment may be made against your practice. Potentially an ‘underpayment of wages’ claim could be successful if a practice does nothing.

Unlike other employer representative groups that can charge up to $3,000, we are providing this service pro bono to any practices that have purchased and implemented our agreements correctly. Email us now at pa@healthandlife.com.au for a confidential and no obligation assessment.

We support that individual employers and employees wish to negotiate their contracts between each other, using individual flexibility agreements. We do not encourage enterprise agreements or multi-employer enterprise agreements because it is a poor recruitment and retention tool. There are employer and employee union representatives that are actively encouraging this tedious and expensive approach. Simply, everyone is treated the same and it makes it more difficult to recognise and reward high performing staff. Poor performing staff can potentially be over compensated at the expense of the high performing staff. See our archives section for more information. The union is seeking to establish a new and more complex minimum Award entitlement that we believe is not sustainable.

The first to step to avoiding this problem is to have a signed Fair Work compliant employment contract.

1st July 2012 Electronic Patient Controlled Health Records Are You Ready?

(New - The Business of Healthcare Video Series)

1. Introduction – new video series Dear Readers, now we can say Viewers, we have started a new and exciting “The Business Healthcare” TM video series trial. They will be short 5-7minute videos. Please provide any feedback on the You Tube and please click “Like” if you would like us to present more information. We have already received over 70 views (on two sites) prior to this broadcast.

Our first video was produced on an iPhone. There is more to come with an easy to view informative format. To view click here 1st July 2012 Electronic Patient Controlled Health Records - Are You Ready?

The next video is on….

It takes only one phone call and your doctor will not see you!

The next video is a controversial edition on why patients will have a more difficult time in accessing high quality, innovative and affordable healthcare. We are concerned with the Federal Governments interference in the doctor patient relationship.

Furthermore, the rare move to enact new retrospective laws in relation to Medicare audits that doctors have won can now be re-trialled. Currently, the present Medicare rules remain unclear and audit processes lack transparency. Nor can it demonstrate it has an appropriate peer review processes.

Practices and practice staff can now be implicated in a Medicare audit, with or without the healthcare providers consent. This is a concern, given Medicare have been found guilty in the Federal Courts for not properly prosecuting practices. They are now able to prosecute providers and practices without evidence!

Please do not hesitate to share these videos with your friends.

2. 2012 Seminars and One to One Meetings A BIG THANKYOU to NSW and QLD clients, practices, practice managers and Medicare Locals who accepted our recent offer to present to your organisation with no obligation. You have all been welcoming and wonderful hosts. We have met a lot innovative and exciting practices, and look forward to meeting you all again. At the request of practice managers, we are planning to visit Wollongong and Brisbane in September and October so let us know if you would like us to drop in.

Below is a summary of dates for our practice visits and seminars across Australia. This is an opportunity to meet with us face to face with any practice issues you may have at each seminar, or by personal appointment, for a no-obligation discussion. Email us at pa@healthandlife.com.au to pre-book an appointment.

If you would like your local medical organisation to host a seminar, forward this email to them with our seminar details and copy us in as well at pa@healthandlife.com.au. We will then contact them direct to enquire about presenting in your local area.

We thank you in advance for your interest and support. You would be surprised how it only takes one person to make things happen!

New confirmed programs are detailed below.

Please contact the organisations directly for details about the course program, content and costs. It is free to Medicare Locals and Associations if it is part of the program detailed below. Please email your expression of interest to us, or email your local association, and we can do a presentation at no cost to them.

Host and Location

Dates

Contact Name

Contact Email

Topics

SOUTH AUSTRALIA * SA, Adelaide

20th June, 2012

Ashley Grace Tharimu

grace.Tharimu@cpaaustralia.com.au 03 9606 9841

CPA AUSTRALIA * SA, Adelaide

* SA, Adelaide

10th August, 2012

Ashley Moore

12th October 2012

Ashley Moore

pa@healthandlife.com.au 08 8415 5400

pa@healthandlife.com.au 08 8415 5400

PRESENTATION CPA Congress South Australia “Great People” PRESENTATION Dental Practice Update – 2 sessions PRESENTATION Tafe SA – Dental “Strategy & Legal”

QUEENSLAND * QLD, Brisbane

10th October, 2012

Ashley Grace Tharimu

grace.Tharimu@cpaaustralia.com.au 03 9606 9841

CPA AUSTRALIA

PRESENTATION CPA Congress Queensland “Great People”

*So you are looking for that competitive advantage – why not catch up with David Dahm and the Team. See below.

3. Catching up with David Dahm and the Team We can talk about succession planning, business structures, effective tax planning, employee vs contractor agreements, benchmarking and many more topics.

We are using this time to catch up with existing clients. If you are not an existing client, this may be a good opportunity to tell us what is on your mind.

Ask yourself the following questions:     

What new challenges am I facing?

What new opportunities do I anticipate?

What kind of support or expertise would be most helpful to me now?

What changes do I anticipate over the next year or so?

What more can Health and Life do for you, if anything?

We are planning trips and one to one to meetings as detailed above. Please note that this is on a first come first serve basis.

In the meantime, please feel free to contact us to arrange a no obligation teleconference to get you started on any significant issues. Email us at pa@healthandlife.com.au 4. Where to from here?

1.

Consult your professional adviser in relation to any advice suggested;

2.

If you require any back issues of our news alerts please email us;

3.

If you are not sure about any issues raised in this newsletter, contact David Dahm on 1800 077 222 for an initial no obligation consult or email us at pa@healthandlife.com.au. Health and Life provides comprehensive Practice consulting, accounting, taxation and financial planning advice for group Practices and individuals. Email us for information about our Employment Template kits for providers and support staff, and our Doctors pay Calculator.

Which topics would you like to be covered?

If there is a particular topic that you would like covered in one of our future News Alerts, please email pa@healthandlife.com.au and let us know what it is. We will then endeavour to cover your requested topic.

Do we have your email address?

It is apparent in feedback we are receiving that there are persons receiving this regular email who are not on our email list. If you are receiving this email ‘second-hand’ from another source, we would be delighted to receive your email address and we will add you to our database so that you can receive it first-hand on the day it is sent. This invitation is open to all Health Care Practices. Please send your email address to pa@healthandlife.com.au.

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Copyright Notice 2012 This email, including any attachments, is for the personal use of the recipient(s) only. Republication and re-dissemination, including posting to news groups or web pages, is strictly prohibited without the express prior consent of Health & Life Pty Ltd. Disclaimer Notice Health & Life Pty Ltd’s Best Practice News Alert is designed as a comprehensive and up-to-date Accounting, Practice Management and Healthcare news service to alert readers to the latest in Practice and related developments affecting the medical, dental and allied health professions as they happen. It is published when there is news to report. No responsibility can be accepted for those who act on its content without first consulting us or obtaining specific advice.