Practice Management and Administration
What to know
Practice management covers business, legal, and clinical operations: business structures (sole proprietorship, LLC, group practice), credentialing and insurance panels, CPT codes and documentation standards, fee setting and sliding scales, billing and collections, and record retention per state law. Know HIPAA privacy and security requirements, including business associate agreements, risk analysis, and breach notification. Understand telehealth rules (licensure in the client's location, platform security, emergency plans), marketing ethics, and the difference between clinical and administrative records. Risk management includes informed consent, termination procedures, and coverage for abandonment.
Traps
Questions often test licensure jurisdiction in telehealth (the client's location governs) and whether a business associate agreement is needed with vendors handling protected health information. Watch for items on collections that pit business interests against clinical judgment-termination requires notice and referral, not abrupt abandonment. Another trap is assuming insurance credentialing equals licensure.
Rule of thumb
Before any operational decision, ask: does it protect the record, the client's rights, and continuity of care? Document policies in advance rather than improvising.
Worked example
A client relocates across state lines and requests telehealth. Verify licensure or authority to practice where the client is located before continuing, and document the check.