Podiatric Medical News

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October 17, 2025 #8,130 Publisher-Barry Block, DPM, JD

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PODIATRISTS IN THE COMMUNITY

CA Podiatrist Tells County Supervisors Diabetic Foot-Care Needs Exceed Capacity

Representatives from Stockdale Podiatry Group and a physician from Western University told the Tulare County Board of Supervisors during public comment that Porterville lacks sufficient specialty foot and ankle care to meet high local needs among diabetic patients.

Dr. Paul Kim

Paul Kim, DPM, identified as a Stockdale physician who trained at Western University, described clinical demand in Porterville. "I see close to 40 to 60 patients a day... 75 percent of our patients are diabetic," Dr. Kim said. He described treating neglected ankle fractures and wounds that carry the risk of limb loss and that sometimes require referral to Bakersfield. He said many patients are unable to access orthopedic surgeons locally and that the clinic is working to be part of a local care pipeline.

Source: Citizen Portal, Tulare County, California [10/15/25]

PUBLISHED PODIATRISTS

MD Podiatrist Publishes Book About Postal History

For podiatrist Steven Berlin, DPM, writing Mail Robbery Postal History (From Around The World), is a product of love and interest in philately and his collection of the various forms of interrupted mail from around the world. Mail robbery became a main theme of his collecting. The subject matter interested him to the extent that he decided to work on a book involving mail robbery.

Dr. Steven Berlin

This book consists of 10 chapters from early times to the present. Five chapters encompass the centuries 1500-1700s, 1800s, 1900s, and fraud, embezzlement, and counterfeiting. The last five chapters involve military conflicts 1745-1945, to U.S. recovered mail, to North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The book has a large reference area with many references entwined with specific situations of mail robbery and ramblings.

FINANCIAL TIP OF THE DAY

6 Steps to Protect Your Retirement Savings

Eager to protect your savings from the dangers that seem to be lurking everywhere lately? Financial advisers say that these are your best moves now.

5. Keep your hand in

There are plenty of good reasons to work longer. Besides helping you bridge the years until you collect Social Security without breaking into your nest egg, it gives you more years to save, shortens the number of years those savings have to last, and reduces the chances you'll be forced to tap your portfolio during a market downturn. "Your human capital is your safest asset," Carolyn McClanahan, founder of Life Planning Partners in Jacksonville, Florida says.

Given all the benefits, it's not exactly a shocker that many people these days are embracing the work-longer approach. Both the average retirement age and the percentage of people 65 and older in the workforce have been steadily creeping up, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College reports.

Source: Kiplinger [October 2025]

CODING & BILLING Q&As FROM CODINGHELPLINE.COM

Query: Can Associate Bill with My NPI Number?

Can I submit under my NPI number if my associate sees a patient?

Codinghelpline com Subscriber

Response from Codinghelpline.com

No. The provider who sees a patient must be credentialed by the carrier in order to bill for the services. The NPI for the provider who provides the services is placed in box 24J on a HCFA-1500 form. If The "Owner Doctor" is hiring a "temporary substitute podiatric physician" for an absent doctor for no more than 60 continuous days, the absent provider remains the billing provider (claims go under this doctor’s NPI). CMS requires using the Modifier Q6 meaning that locum tenens have been met. An associate who has an employment contract for more than 60 days by the practice, is not a locum tenens situation.

David Freedman, DPM, Silver Spring, MD

Additional coding and billing questions and responses can be found at Codinghelpline.com

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