In an effort to provide more options in the insurance marketplace, the Trump Administration is making it easier for small businesses to form association health plans. These plans allow multiple small employers to band together to provide health insurance for their employees. By purchasing or providing insurance through an association, small businesses can take advantage of the leverage and economies of scale usually reserved for larger groups.

"We have 17 providers, but only four phone operators, all because of our patient portal," says Clay Barnett, director of internal programs at Birmingham Internal Medicine Associates (BIMA). This tech allowed them to add four physicians in the last two years without the expense of hiring any additional phone support.

The days of stealing personal information for credit cards no longer holds the greatest appeal for hackers of medical facilities. "Credit card companies stand behind their clients," says Russ Dorsey, manager of information services at Kassouf & Co. Purchases are rapidly questioned, cards are voided, and card holders rarely get dinged.

Improved efficiency and communication are at the heart of blockchain technology, offering great promise for the healthcare industry to realize improved outcomes in both a business and clinical setting.

Girders, cranes, and concrete are a familiar sight around UAB, especially now with three new construction projects underway on the medical side alone.

There are many questions to consider when determining where to locate or move a practice.

In 2016, the United States Supreme Court issued its decision in Universal Health Servs. v. U.S. ex rel. Escobar which dealt, in part, with how the "materiality" requirement should be enforced in False Claims Act ("FCA") cases.

You may have heard a lot lately about GDPR lately and thought "Why should I care? It probably won't affect me or my business."

"The methodology was flawed to begin with," says Danne Howard, chief policy officer with Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA), about Medicare's method for calculating the reimbursement rate for hospitals, especially rural facilities. "But it's become even worse."

On June 1, 2018, any person or business that acquires or uses personally identifiable information of an Alabama resident, or contracts to maintain, store, process or access such information, may be subject to The Alabama Data Breach Notification Act of 2018.

I recently attended a conference in Las Vegas where I caught up with colleagues who specialize in healthcare operations and business strategy.

AAMC calls for a multi-pronged approach to address the looming physician shortage.

"If they have an email address of smokeemup@gmail.com on their resume, I'm not going to call," says Jennifer Neal, administrator with Pulmonary and Sleep Associates in Birmingham. "Obviously you're not thinking."

Health care insurance is a hotly contested political issue, but the true cost is felt by individuals unable to pay for medical care. Without help, many become seriously ill or live with chronic, often debilitating conditions that prevent the uninsured from maintaining steady employment.

At the core of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the three-legged stool: (1) insurance reforms; (2) the individual mandate; and (3) premium and cost-sharing subsidies. Removal of any one of these legs could destabilize the ACA.

With only 73 physicians per 10,000 residents, a 2012 survey ranked Alabama 45^th in the country in primary physicians per capita. In rural areas, where transportation can also be a problem, the nearest primary care can be even farther.

At the time of this writing, Alabama is one step closer to having a law on the books related to cybersecurity. Alabama is currently one of two states along with South Dakota that have not passed a data breach notification law.

Trying to stay ahead of healthcare hacks can be time consuming and costly. Yet, many medical practices and healthcare companies could significantly lower risks by following simple, inexpensive best practices.

"People don't think about their deductible and when the time comes, we have to educate them about their insurance," says Lisa Warren, CEO at Andrews Sports Medicine.

U.S. businesses spent $90 billion on non-cash incentives for staff in 2015. Only 26 percent of businesses offered any non-cash options. "The biggest obstacle to finding incentives is just that everyone's motivator is different.

A pair of Justice Department memos have made waves in the past month and have the potential to significantly impact the way the federal government prosecutes civil enforcement cases, particularly those brought under the False Claims Act.

"The one thing doctors should be doing is making sure their patients have their address correct with Medicare," says Phillip Allen, billing service manager with MediSYS.

A historic run of low medical malpractice premiums continues across the U.S., including in Alabama.