Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on August 31st, 2010
Despite my love for the chiropractic profession, I will confess that much of what crosses my desk appears to be complete bunk with no greater grip on reality than wishing for your little green friend to bring you a pot of gold. Granted, I could be crankier or more cynical than most chiropractors. I fully admit that when I am called a “coach” or “practice management” guy that my gut instinct contorts my face into a post-I-just-ate-a-lemon configuration. This is not because I do not see value in consulting (after all it comprises a large portion of what I do); it’s because I see so little value in so much of the worn out, recycled garbage out there that gets passed along as wisdom from the gurus.
Perhaps, I can summarize my disposition and general strategic approach as “contrarian consulting.” And so, yes, some of what I am about to say may offend you and many others in our great profession. But I believe that many of the accepted “truths” regarding how to improve your chiropractic practice are just plain erroneous, or at the least, misleading. Unfortunately, most chiropractors seem believe these myths, however, because they sound so reasonable or because opinions can sometimes be bought with a constant onslaught of advertising. Besides, it’s the conventional wisdom – everyone says the same things. Unfortunately, these myths can get you easily disoriented, shifting your focus away from good practice management strategies. And that’s the problem – the more you focus on the myth, the less time you have to focus on the truth.
So, here they are . . . seven of the most pervasive myths in chiropractic practice success and the truth that will set you free. Read More
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Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on August 25th, 2010
For many chiropractors, the phrase “medical necessity” represents a vague, perhaps arbitrary or even precarious invisible standard we are all supposed to meet. It is one that all third party payers require but is surrounded by little in the way of concrete understanding.
I have communicated with many frustrated chiropractors who feel that the concept of medical necessity is often arbitrarily applied or is representative of a reviewer’s opinion. Finally, when our claims – all or part – are denied or reduced due to lack of medical necessity, it creates a feeling of an “us vs. them” mentality with regards to the third party payer, Independent Medical Examiner or other review entity that gave us the denial.
When our claims are denied for other reasons — bundled services, non-covered services, etc — it is equally frustrating. Read More
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Written by Tom Necela on August 17th, 2010
Every Medicare carrier in the country has been assaulting my inbox recently with “ALERT” emails designed to make chiropractors aware of studies being conducted by the Comprehensive Error Rate Testing (CERT) program. I am not sure if we are at the equivalent of Code Orange or Code Red at this point, but the profession is definitely on Medicare’s “elevated risk” alert system in some fashion. So, in case you haven’t heard, may this post serve to Paul Revere the chiropractic community to be on guard — Medicare is coming, Medicare is coming! Read More
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Written by Tom Necela, DC, CPC, CPMA, CCP-P on August 3rd, 2010
When faced with decisions on major life purchases – house, car, building purchase, even expensive remodels or repairs – most of us responsible adult chiropractors tend to do some comparison shopping. We may go out and get three or four quotes, make a list of the pros and cons and then pick the best choice, right? Read More
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