If your Practice still depends heavily on Medicare patients don’t you think it is time to mitigate the risks? Monday, Feb 13, 2011 President Obama is expected to submit the 2013 budget proposal which will cut more than 360 billion from Medicare, Medicaid and other healthcare programs over the next 10 years, according to a brief summary of the plan (PDF) the president will submit to Congress on Monday Feb 13. My point to you is that those who decide to see Medicare patients have a higher risk of been audited and higher standards to follow that those who don’t. I’m not even talking about operational standards as we all are trying to do what is best to our patients. I’m talking compliance and administrative standards that are choking us and where mistakes could be consider a severe liability. Our environment continues to change and every day that passes it seems harder to survive. Part of the problem is that we are not taking control of our Practices and while we are trying to catch up with the rules, the changes are coming too fast. At least HIPAA 5010 didn’t hit us too hard on the operational world, although the same may not be said about the technical side. Now ICD 10 is breathing down our necks. So my point is the following: it is time to take care of our business. We need to learn the rules and comply with them or change our business model in a way that we will face less rules. We need to understand our customers and find ways to provide the best care possible in a cost efficient manner. In short, we may need to reinvent ourselves. The way I see it is that the bottom line rests with us. We have to take care of our businesses or we won’t be able to take care of our patients. We need to understand the rules of the game if we intend to play and regardless of what the government decides to do, we need to adapt and evolve. And if you don’t know what is going on or which way you should move contact a professional so we can help you.