Health Information Compliance Alert

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 12

Privacy NCVHS DEMANDS HELP WITH HIPAA IMPLEMENTATION
Every relationship requires communication. The NCVHS’ bond with HHS was no differe... Read more

Compliance Costs OMB PUTS PRICE TAG ON REGULATORY COSTS
A regulatory report issued by the Office of Management and Budget reveals that rules imp... Read more

Compliance Survey HCCA TAKES 'SNAPSHOT' OF INDUSTRY'S HIPAA PREPAREDNESS
A recent survey provides a “snapshot” of the health care industry’s la... Read more

Business Associates NCQA TO CREATE LIST OF WHO'S NAUGHTY AND WHO'S NICE
Are you certain your business associates have the necessary means for safeguarding prote... Read more

Business Associates MODEL CONTRACTS -- SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED
The Department of Health and Human Services’ model business associate contracts of... Read more

Document Management HAVE AN APPETITE FOR PHI DESTRUCTION?
Burn it, shred it, pound it, erase it — just don’t get lazy when it comes to... Read more

HIPAA Transactions CMS TO ENTITIES:
SEND COMPLAINTS OUR WAY
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the agency charged with enforcing the ... Read more

Privacy AND OCR SHALL GUIDE THEM
Many covered entities feel discombobulated by the delivery of the final privacy rule; fo... Read more

Security FINAL SECURITY RULE EXPECTED SOON
The much-anticipated final Security Rule hit a bump in the road on its path to finalizat... Read more

Health Information News YOU CAN'T TAKE YOUR HIPAA WITH YOU ...
… Or can you? Experts studying the portability of health insurance coverage under... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 11

Preemption Analysis MAKE A PREEMPTIVE STRIKE FOR COMPLIANCE
Sure, you’re a pro with the privacy rule and you’re well on your way to comp... Read more

Data Standards HIMSS TESTIMONY SPEAKS OF STANDARDS TO INTEGRATE HEALTHCARE DATA
Software companies that create products to maximize the efficiency of the flow of health... Read more

Compliance Tips AUTHORIZATIONS ... HYPOTHETICALLY SPEAKING
Not sure when to secure patient authorizations? You’re in luck, because we had an ... Read more

Compliance Survey HOSPITALS' COMPLIANCE ILL BUT RECOVERING, SURVEY SHOWS
A recently released survey gives low marks to the health care industry when it comes to ... Read more

Privacy TOTAL-ITARIAN INFORMATION AWARENESS?
The Pentagon has a plan in the works that aims at preventing acts of terrorism — b... Read more

Transactions TRANSACTIONS AND CODE SETS:
SO NOW WHAT?
Filing for your HIPAA ASCA extension was one of the first steps to a successful complian... Read more

HIPAA Training PUT ALL EMPLOYEES ON A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but when it comes to HIPAA, th... Read more

Data Standards HHS ANNOUNCES SYSTEM FOR COLLECTING PATIENT SAFETY DATA
The HHS is shelling out the dough to facilitate the collection of patient safety data. ... Read more

Health Information News AMA LAUNCHES NEW COMPLIANCE TOOL
Physicians, there’s a new HIPAA compliance tool on the market that’s been de... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 10

HIPAA Budget:
CREATING A COMPLIANCE BUDGET IS A MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION
The great disparity among many providers proposals to generate a budget compliant with th... Read more

Privacy Act:
CMS PADS PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY
Heads up, covered entities. CMS has proposed a new System of Records that intends to make... Read more

HIPAA Guidance:
HHS OFFERS PRIVACY DOS AND DONTS
Can you charge patients for copies of their medical records? Should you get the plumber t... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
CONSENT STILL KICKING?
The August modifications to the privacy rule may have induced the final death throes for... Read more

HIPAA Guidance:
CMS AIDS ENTITIES STRUGGLING WITH IDENTITY
Still wondering how to determine when a business falls under the definition of a health c... Read more

Chart:
Is A Business Or Agency A Health Care Clearinghouse?
... Read more

Gap Analysis:
OH NO! YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION IS LEAKING
You can significantly reduce your practices HIPAA risks if you follow our four-step plan.... Read more

HIPAA Enforcement:
HHS TO CMS: MAY THE ENFORCEMENT BE WITH YOU
Health care providers will be dealing with a familiar agency when it comes to enforcemen... Read more

Health Information News:
SURVEY FINDS FLAWS IN FEDERAL PRIVACY LAWS
How does your state size up with others when it comes to protecting patient privacy? Acc... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 9

Marketing:
HHS SEEKS TO SUTURE CRACKS IN MARKETING PROVISIONS
The Department of Health and Human Services' final privacy rule throws a blob of spackl... Read more

Genetic Privacy:
WILL GENETIC DATA PRIVACY OPEN UP A BRAVE NEW WORLD?
While many argue that the collection, use and exchange of genetic information by employe... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
CA BILL CLEARS PATH FOR HIPAA PREEMPTION
A new bill passed out of the California state Senate places power in the hands of a stat... Read more

HIPAA Guidance:
CMS REDEFINES, CLARIFIES SMALL HEALTH PLAN UNDER HIPAA
Are you puzzled about whether you qualify as a "small health plan" under HIPAA? Thanks t... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
NOTICES REAM PROVIDERS, DEMAND REAMS OF PAPER
Providers, the final privacy rule is in the books, and now is the best time to evaluate... Read more

Legislation:
SUNSHINE STATE BILL MAY SPREAD SHADOW OVER PHARMA CO.'S
Claiming that the Bush administration's final Health Insurance Portability and Accounta... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
COVERED ENTITIES PRETTY COOL WITH USES AND DISCLOSURES RULE
Covered entities, thanks to the changes made to the uses and disclosures of protected ... Read more

Litigation:
PALMETTO STATE DOCS WILL WAGE HIPAA WAR IN APPEALS COURT
Physicians in South Carolina and across the nation who had hoped to obliterate the Depar... Read more

Health Information News:
HEARINGS IN BOSTON YIELD HIPAA COMPLIANCE CONFUSION
Providers seeking the government's help with compliance with the Health Insurance Port... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 8

HIPAA Privacy:
PRIVACY RULE CHANGES WELCOMED, BUT SOME ISSUES STILL FUZZY
You can't please all the people all of the time, they say but the Department of Healt... Read more

Medical Research:
LIMITED DATA SET WELL MET BY INDUSTRY
One of the Department of Health and Human Services amendments to the privacy rule has sla... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
PRIVACY GROUPS SPLIT OVER CONSENT REPEAL
Attention patients, health care providers and lawyers: Consent has left the building. Eve... Read more

Litigation:
HHS SCORES VICTORY IN HIPAA PRIVACY CHALLENGE
A federal judge in South Carolina has shot down an effort by a coalition of physicians to... Read more

HIPAA Training:
BRING COMPLIANCE INTO FOCUS
Compliance officers, providers and others for whom HIPAA training is a concern appear to ... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
HHS DELIVERS NEW PRIVACY RULE AND RELIEF TO COVERED ENTITIES
Drum roll, please In a final rule published in the Aug. 14 Federal Register, the Departm... Read more

Transactions:
GAO WEIGHS CODE SET OPTIONS
While the code sets the Department of Health and Human Services has adopted as Health Ins... Read more

Mitigation Tips:
STOP, DROP AND ROLL TO EXTINGUISH PRIVACY FIRES
Taking the time to develop procedures for staff to follow when they make a mistake and mi... Read more

Enforcement:
WHERE WILL THE AXE FALL?
While the Department of Health and Human Services only recently finalized the privacy ru... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
TEMPORARY INSANITY?
A gentle zephyr swept hospital records all along a downtown street in Allentown, PA, and ... Read more

Health Information News:
HAWKEYE STATE RAISES CONCERNS OVER MEDICAL PRIVACY
Should law enforcement officials be given access to private medical documents to help so... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 7

Privacy:
PRIVACY TRAINING MEANS BREAKING NEW GROUND
Training employees on the intricacies of HIPAA can seem like the blind leading the blind... Read more

HIPAA Sanctions:
8 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN DRAFTING HIPAA SANCTION POLICIES
Privacy and compliance officers everywhere are making lists of what constitutes a viola... Read more

Litigation:
LAWSUIT QUESTIONS HHS' AUTHORITY TO PROMULGATE HIPAA PRIVACY STANDARDS
A lawsuit filed against the Department of Health and Human Services last year is pick... Read more

Privacy:
PRIVACY JOB BOARD NEARLY OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Need a privacy officer? If so, your search for a privacy staffer is only clicks of the m... Read more

Business Associates:
MINDLESS CONFORMITY MAY CAUSE MAJOR CATASTROPHES
If you just fill in the blanks using the model business associate contract language for ... Read more

Privacy:
AIDS ACTIVISTS TO DHHS: WERE BENT ON CONSENT!
While the Department of Health and Human Services debates the pros and cons of trashing ... Read more

HIPAA Transactions:
HIPAA-COMPLIANT CLAIMS NOT SO CLEAN
Health care providers who thought electronic claims processing was supposed to be quick ... Read more

Privacy:
PROZAC MAILING RESULTS FROM PHYSICIANS FAILING
"Mr. Postman, look and see. Is there a lawsuit in your bag for me?": That's the tune som... Read more

Privacy:
LIGHTS! CAMERA! PRIVACY INFRACTION?
ER patients may have more to worry about than their health. Some "reality TV" shows might... Read more

Medical Records:
DOC DUPED IN DIVORCE DRAMA
An unauthorized medical information release may mean a California physician will pay comp... Read more

Privacy Notices:
ECKERD ENDOWS FAMU CHAIR TO PROTECT PATIENT PRIVACY
A murky health information policy notice has a major pharmacy chain paying to help othe... Read more

Health Information News:
PRIVACY ISSUES MAY REACH U.S. SECURITY DEPARTMENT
Privacy concerns have prompted government officials to consider installing a privacy off... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 6

HIPAA Privacy:
PRIVACY REGS YOU CAN BANK ON
Special services rendered by banks on behalf of providers and hospitals could emerge a... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
DON'T GIVE GRIEF RECEIVE IT
If a health care provider has already created and implemented a fraud and abuse complia... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
MARKETERS ON CLOUD 9 WHILE PRIVACY ADVOCATES SOAK IN RAIN
Proposed changes to the HIPAA privacy rule have big implications for marketers' use of... Read more

Litigation:
JUDGE NIXES HIPAA CHALLENGE
A federal district court judge June 17 dismissed a challenge to the Health Insurance Po... Read more

HIPAA Transactions:
HHS RELENTS ON J CODES
The Department of Health and Human Services' latest proposal on HIPAA transactions shou... Read more

HIPAA Training:
DON'T GET REAR-ENDED BY YOUR FRONT DESK
When health care providers think of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability ... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
WHEN CHARTS GO HOME, HIPAA RULES FOLLOW
Picture this: A medical office receives an irate call from a patient's mother, who is t... Read more

HIPAA Compliance:
RURAL HOSPITALS TO DHHS: SHOW ME THE MONEY
Cash-strapped rural hospitals at wits end over funding their HIPAA compliance efforts ... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
HIPAA PUTS RESEARCHERS UNDER MICROSCOPE
When medical researchers were forcefully wed to HIPAA compliance, the union presented a ... Read more

Privacy/Security Certification:
AHIMA, HIMSS OFFER NEW CERTIFICATIONS
The American Health Information Management Association and Healthcare Information and M... Read more

HIPAA Compliance:
NCAL: HIPAA COMPLIANCE FOR HIRE
A new manual has been published that aims at making assisted living facilities' HIPAA c... Read more

HIPAA Compliance:
LAW FIRM TACKLES HIPAA
The law firm of Shaw Pittman introduced June 3 an online, searchable database to aid hea... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 5

HIPAA Disclosures:
FEDS TO LIGHTEN ACCOUNTING BURDEN
Proposed amendments to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act look t... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
MARKETING CHANGES WORRY HIPAA ADVISORY PANEL
The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics has weighed in on proposed chang... Read more

Clinical Labs:
CLINICAL LABS POSE UNIQUE HIPAA COMPLIANCE CHALLENGES
Clinical laboratories serve an unusual role in the health care system in many cases the... Read more

HIPAA Tips:
3 STRATEGIES FOR HIPAA PREPARATION IN CLINICAL LABS
While clinical labs may occupy a unique position under the Health Insurance Portability... Read more

Genetic Privacy:
GENETIC INFO LACKS PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
Knowing which rules to follow when it comes to keeping medical records is challengin... Read more

Temporary Employees:
THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPS
Temporary employees can save the day when business booms but if you don't know how to ... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
SAFETY FIRST FOR DOC GROUP HIPAA COMPLIANCE
The war cry for privacy officers everywhere should be "better safe than sorry," and at l... Read more

Authorizaitions:
5 AUTHORIZATION PERILS FOR PHYSICIAN PRACTICES
When it comes to authorization requirements, physician practices had better mind thei... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
18,000 CONTRACTS IS TOO MUCH TO ASK
While the Department of Health and Human Services' proposal to ease up on the consent ... Read more

Privacy Exceptions:
GRAND JURY SUBPOENA TRUMPS PATIENTS' PRIVACY RIGHTS
The Health Insurance Portability and Acountability Act doesn't necessarily protect a h... Read more

Security:
FINAL SECURITY RULE EXPECTED SOON
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expects to release its long-awaited H... Read more

Identifier Standards:
EMPLOYER IDENTIFIER FINALIZED
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services crossed one of the less controversial ... Read more

Genetic Privacy:
RAILROAD PAYS FOR GENETIC TEST
Playing fast and loose with patient privacy can cause more than just Health Insurance Po... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 4

HIPAA Privacy:
SENATE SHOWDOWN FOCUSES ON CONSENT & MARKETING
Wildly differing views on proposed changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Ac... Read more

HIPAA Identifiers:
NATIONAL IDENTIFIERS ON THE WAY BUT WHEN?
Health care providers will soon trade in a tangle of identifying codes for a single nati... Read more

Privacy:
CLASS-ACTION PRIVACY SUIT GETS GO AHEAD
Pharmacy giant CVS Corp. will have to defend itself against a class-action lawsuit that ... Read more

HIPAA Transactions:
CMS WEIGHS IN ON MANAGED CARE HIPAA CONCERNS
While the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in its role as a health plan, co... Read more

HIPAA Transactions:
E-Z EXTENSION
The Department of Health and Human Services has followed through on its promise that i... Read more

Business Associates:
PRESSURE DROPS ON CONTRACT COMPLIANCE
Proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's priv... Read more

Business Associates:
MODEL CONTRACTS MORE THAN CUT AND PASTE
Attempting to ease the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act transition,... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
HHS TALLIES THE COST OF CHANGE
The proposed changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act privacy ... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
AUTHORIZATIONS MADE EASY
Despite scrapping the consent provisions of the HIPAA privacy rule, the Department of ... Read more

HIPAA Transactions:
CMS SPURS STATES ON EDI COMPLIANCE
Even though there's extra time to get in compliance with the Health Insurance Portabilit... Read more

Studies and Surveys:
AHA TAKES THE PRIVACY PULSE
In a recent survey commissioned by the American Hospital Association, 86 percent of r... Read more

Health Care Philanthropy:
HEALTH CARE CHARITIES FEEL PRIVACY PRESSURE
Health care philanthropy groups are pressing the Bush administration to amend a portion o... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
PROVIDERS CONSIDER PRIVACY CHANGES
Health care providers are weighing in on proposed modifications to the Health Insurance ... Read more

Studies & Surveys:
BANKS BEHIND THE HIPAA CURVE
A new survey has found that banks servicing health care providers are not prepared to c... Read more

State Developments:
STATES HIPAA READINESS
Californias health care providers seem well on their way to meeting the April 2003 Health... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 3

HIPAA Privacy:
CHANGES TO 'FINAL' PRIVACY RULE
Health care providers have long decried certain elements of the consent provisions of th... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
HHS RELENTS ON CONSENT
Despite the sound and fury surrounding the proposed changes to the HIPAA privacy rule, ... Read more

HIPAA Privacy:
MARKETERS: HANDS OFF THE HEALTH INFO
Proposed amendments to the HIPAA privacy rule mean big changes in marketers' access ... Read more

Training:
EFFECTIVE HIPAA TRAINING USES REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES
With HIPAA's privacy requirements set to take effect in April 2003, covered entities s... Read more

Disease Surveillance:
NCVHS ISSUES SURVEILLANCE RECOMMENDATIONS
Disease knows no boundaries so neither should any system designed to track it. So say... Read more

Legislation:
SNOWE BILL SEEKS GENETIC PROTECTIONS
The successful mapping of the human ge-nome is spurring attempts to minimize the potent... Read more

Prescription Drugs:
PRIVACY PROJECT SLAMS PRESCRIPTION PLAN
A proposed rule creating a Medicare discount drug card doesn't live up to privacy-relat... Read more

Coding Compliance:
TOP 9 CODING COMPLIANCE TARGETS
When it comes to coding compliance, experts say it's best to keep a low profile. Th... Read more

Coding Compliance:
CALL FOR BACKUP WHEN IT'S TIME TO AUDIT
Sometimes a compliance officer can be his own worst enemy especially when it comes to c... Read more

Marketing:
ECKERD DRAWS IRE FOR STICKER SWITCH
Eckerd Corp.'s patient signature switcharoo scheme has privacy advocates and an attor... Read more

Court Cases:
CAUSE TO COMPLAIN OVER PRIVACY DISMISSAL
A doctor's right to protect patient privacy trumps even an employer's right to fire for ... Read more

HIPAA Transactions:
MODEL HIPAA EXTENSION PLAN ON THE WAY
Last year's legislation offering a one-year extension for compliance with the Health Ins... Read more

Health Information News:
GOVERNORS WANT HIPAA MONEY, GUIDANCE
The National Governors Association isn't happy about the lack of HIPAA complianc... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 2

Technology FAXES, E-MAILS BRING HIPAA DANGERS
Thanks to HIPAA, one wrong click can cost you $50,000. You’ll never be able to thi... Read more

THWARTS Privacy PRIVACY RULE MEDICAL RESEARCH
A coalition of health care groups Feb. 8 warned Department of Health and Human Services ... Read more

Technology Tips 11 WAYS TO MINIMIZE FAX AND E-MAIL RISKS
If you want your organization to stay out of the courthouse and the newspapers, fo... Read more

Sample Forms FAX & E-MAIL CONFIDENTIALITY DISCLAIMER
Providers who fax or e-mail protected health information should place disclaimers in the... Read more

Authorizations AUTHORIZATIONS MUCH TRICKIER THAN CONSENTS
It’s time for a vocabulary lesson that will make your HIPAA privacy compliance eff... Read more

Penalties HHS TO OUTLINE MEDICARE EXCLUSION RULES FOR HIPAA
Last year’s legislation offering a one-year extension for compliance with the Heal... Read more

SAMPLE QUIZ MINIMUM NECESSARY POP QUIZ
How much do you know about the minimum necessary standard? More importantly, how much d... Read more

Administrative Simplification BUSH PROPOSES $64 MILLION IN 2003 HIPAA FUNDING
President Bush has included more than $64 million in his proposed budget for 2003 design... Read more

Coding CMS HAS ITS EYE ON CCI SKIRTERS
If your coders use the –59 modifier as a cure-all for overriding the Correct Codin... Read more

Coding DON'T TAKE CCI EDITS AT FACE VALUE
The latest version of the Correct Coding Initiative edits is causing cardiologists some ... Read more

Health Information News CA PROVIDERS GET LEG UP ON HIPAA COMPLIANCE
HIPAA compliance efforts in the Golden State just got a big boost from the California He... Read more

Health Information Compliance Alert - 2002; Volume 2, Number 1

HIPAA Transactions SNIP SAYS TCS COMPLIANCE PLANS SHOULD BE A SNAP
While health care organizations must submit a compliance plan to the Depart... Read more

Information Security IT CONTINGENCY PLANS NEED 21ST CENTURY MAKEOVERS
Health care organizations need to do a better job thinking about the unthinkable and dus... Read more

HIPAA Privacy MINIMUM NECESSARY STANDARD WILL CAUSE CULTURE SHOCK
Coming to grips with the minimum necessary standard of the Health Insurance Portability ... Read more

State Courts COURT SAYS COMPUTER DATA IS PUBLIC RECORD
Legal action in New Hampshire may have some significant things to say about the right to... Read more

HIPAA LITIGATION:
HHS STRIKES BACK AGAINST PRIVACY RULE LAWSUIT
Last August, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons filed suit in U.S. Dist... Read more

E-Health LILLY SETTLES PROZAC.COM COMPLAINTS
The company responsible for one of the most high profile unauthorized disclosures of hea... Read more

State Courts FED REGS DON'T PROTECT ALCOHOL RECORDS
Think twice before signing a disability insurance application giving the insurer the rig... Read more

HIPAA ID Rules IDENTIFIER RULES STILL ON THE BACKBURNER
While the delay to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act transaction a... Read more

Studies & Surveys CODE SET SOFTWARE ALMOST READY, SAY VENDORS
Software providers appear to be on track to meet the October 2002 deadline for complianc... Read more

Point of Care Testing DON'T LET HANDHELD METERS WALK AWAY
Now is the time for health care providers to close the gap between their HIPAA strategy ... Read more

Health Information News DRIVERS' LICENSES SET TO GO NATIONAL
The debate over national ID cards that erupted following the September 11 attacks may en... Read more

Available Years: 2002