Pennsylvania ’s Physicians’ Health Programs has been in operation since 1970, and its Professional Health Monitoring Programs since 1986. These programs are often confused with each other but are fundamentally distinct.

Now is a good time to re-visit the question of what should a physician look for in placing his or her professional liability coverage. A commitment to manage risk and manage claims is a key factor in a physician's choice.

Implementation of a respected model of chronic disease care and management is being promoted by the state and supported financially by health plans.

Concerns about time, cost and liability persist, while use of electronic communication raises issues including privacy and security regulations under HIPAA, efficiency, efficacy, care coordination, care documentation, practice marketing potential, and the patient-physician relationship.

Opportunities that exist today may not exist in December when many people are scrambling to do their year-end planning and make their financial New Year’s resolutions.

Invest in your practice with careful planning, empowering the staff, following proven marketing ideas, and most of all, keep the patients happy by providing quality care and service.

With a solid, qualified team, a well-monitored budget and the basic understanding of business ratios, a physician can very quickly and routinely know exactly where the business is, where it is going and what may need adjusting to improve the operation.

Physician practice groups are employers, as well as health care providers and are consequently responsible for managing and monitoring their employees’ use of the practice computer system to ensure its proper and legal usage.

It is important to recognize the power of government to exclude providers from the Medicare/Medicaid Program, the reasons used to exclude providers and a new technique being used to avoid provider exclusion.

Preventable, serious adverse events are not medically necessary and therefore, for inpatient services at acute general hospitals, these events will not be paid for under the Medicaid fee-for-service program.