Practice Startup Questions

May 24, 2012

I just want to say what a blessing this group has been! I look forward to

seeing emails from the listserve pop up on my phone as I always learn so much!

I am hoping to start my own IMP within the next two years (preferably as soon as

possible). Here's some questions I have for the group (and please forgive my

ignorance and naivety):

1) Is it legal to limit the amount of medicare/medicaid you will accept? That

is, I want to limit my practice to 5 or 10% medicaid as it pays so poorly here

(TN) but I have patients who have established with me in my current practice

that I would like to continue to take care of but I want to be financially

viable, which I can't be if I leave the doors wide open to all comers.

2) For those of you who have " niche servicess " within your practice - i.e.

accupuncture, etc. how do you handle the open access for these patients for

whom you are not providing PCP care with those patients for whom you are the

PCP? I currently do manipulation (OMT) and plan on adding accupuncture services

in the future.

3) With open access scheduling, how do you control your schedule in the

beginning when the majority of your patients will be new? At what point do you

restrict your new patient appts to maintain 24-48 hr availability for those who

are established? I know it varies between practices, but what % of appts do you

schedule out vs leave open?

4) I am currently employed and contracted with several plans some of which I

will continue to accept when I am on my own...how is it handled when you

continue to work under the plan in one practice while you are trying to open

another practice? I have not yet told my current employer that I plan to leave

as I want to have as much as possible thought out/arranged ahead of time before

I make the leap. I do have to give 6 months notice and will do that, but I know

the recredentialing can sometimes take awhile and I'd like to move as smoothly

as possible from one to the other as I can't afford to take a large amount of

time off.

Thanks for the input! I'm sure there will be a ton more questions as I pursue

this journey!

Recommended Posts