Our previous two articles discussed the “New Rules” that will drive the post-healthcare reform system in America, all of which are expected to have a significant effect on physicians. To date, we’ve looked at the upcoming changes in “Physician Compensation” and “Administering a Private Practice”.

This is the last article in a four-part series that has discussed the “New Rules” of the post-healthcare reform system. We now are faced with a “new normal” in many sectors in our economy…healthcare more than others, and it’s happening at a time when physician satisfaction is at an all time low. Change is here and the old rules will not work in the future. The Obama Administration has made it clear that the post-healthcare reform system requires significant change in the way that physicians think and practice. Whether or not you agree with healthcare reform, change is here. All physicians will need to challenge their beliefs, ways of thinking, and manner of practice.

If you’ve been experiencing an increased number of refund requests from insurance companies for payments already made, you are not alone. I have heard more reports of doctors receiving requests for money to be returned to payers for ‘incorrect payment’. These requests seem to be indiscriminate, since the billing procedures in offices receiving these refund requests have not changed. So what has changed?

In Part I of our blog series, we explained the “New Rules” for physician compensation based on the post- reform healthcare system. As we stated, physicians are at the epicenter of one of the most dramatic periods of change in America’s healthcare system. The rules and strategies for physician success are changing rapidly, and most physicians are struggling to understand it.