Physicians love to be recognized
From the Editor
Dr. Schwarzenberger is the former physician editor of DermWorld.
By Kathryn Schwarzenberger, MD, FAAD, April 1, 2023
Unless it is for the wrong reason. Our colleagues who have received the dreaded “outlier” letter from insurers almost certainly would agree. The growing trend for insurers to analyze and respond to billing practices, calling out those of us whose billing profiles lie at the ends of the spectrum, may result in your receiving notification that you are a billing “outlier.” As our feature article “Cryptic communications” explains, there may be a perfectly good reason for your billing profile. My ob-gyn husband and I still laugh about the time he was called out for his high C-section rate. His justification? He operated on Thursday. Thursday just happened to be the day that the residents at his academic institution scheduled all their elective C-sections. Once explained, the concern went away. I learned from his experience, which our experts emphasize, that concerns raised about billing practices should be addressed and not ignored. At best, you can explain why the nature of your practice makes you an “outlier.” At worst, it might be a good opportunity to review your billing practices. The Academy has some great resources that can help. I can’t imagine that any of us will enjoy the experience of receiving an “outlier” letter, but hopefully the advice our staff and colleagues offer can make the experience a little easier!
Having trouble finding or retaining good help these days? You are not alone. Like many other business sectors, the health care industry continues to feel the impact of the “great resignation.” Regardless of the practice setting, many of us have been affected by staffing shortages, forcing us to work short-staffed or with less-experienced staff than we would ideally want. Unfortunately, this can contribute to burnout, which is one of the contributing causes of the shortage to begin with. Assistant Managing Editor Allison Evans reached out to some of our colleagues who have successfully managed their practices during these and other challenging times to get their sage advice and best practice tips. I hope you find their insights to be helpful.
Our final feature this month includes a lot of information about sunscreens that you probably already know. However, sharing this information with our patients in a clear and succinct manner can sometimes be a challenge. We asked some of our members to share their best sunscreen sound bites and hope that they will be useful to you next time your patient hits you with yet another question about sunscreens!
Although spring officially arrived last month (after a long and drawn-out battle with Mother Nature in many parts of the country), I rely on April for warmer weather and flowers to start popping up all over. As our new Academy leadership team headed by Drs. Terry Cronin and Robert Kirsner assume their new roles, I would like to offer sincere thanks to our leaders who have completed their terms, including Immediate Past President Dr. Mark Kaufmann and Immediate Past Vice President Dr. Linda Stein Gold, as well as directors Drs. Cyndi Yag-Howard, Lawrence Green, Adelaide Hebert, and Alexander Miller. It would be hard to count the many hours of service these dedicated members have provided to our organization, protecting us and our specialty during the rather tumultuous past few years. Your service is most appreciated. And to Drs. Cronin and Kirsner, I wish you the very best for a good and hopefully very uneventful year! Full speed ahead!
