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Health Information Compliance Alert

HIPAA:
Take These Steps to Protect Yourself During HIPAA Audits
Contact experienced outside counsel immediately our experts advise. Establishing HIPAA pr... Read more
HIPAA Audit:
Pull Your Act Together With These Pointers
It's never too late to start getting into compliance. Assemble a team: "Covered entities ... Read more
5010 Readiness:
Medicare Won't Penalize You for 5010 Non-Compliance Until March 31, 2012
Plus: Avoid PO boxes on 5010, despite what your MAC tells you. Sweating over the fact tha... Read more
Version 5010 Conversion:
Avoid Countless Denials in the New Year -- Check to See If You're Prepared for the 5010 Conversion
You are not too late to prepare for the Jan. 1 deadline, experts say. The drop-dead date ... Read more
Part B Enrollment:
CMS Reminds Practices of 60-Day Revalidation Timeline
But, the agency stresses, wait for a request letter before you revalidate. If you're stil... Read more
Check Your Version 5010 Status with This Handy Checklist
If you are counting on an extension of the Jan. 1, 2012 deadline for 5010 compliance "you ... Read more
Industry Notes:
BCBS of North Carolina Offers EMR Support
If your practice is in North Carolina, you may be able to get some financial help from you... Read more
Documentation:
Vendor Won't Be Ready for 5010? Get Claims in Before 2011 Ends, CMS Advises
E-prescribing hardship exemptions are due in November, CMS reminds. Practices from all ac... Read more
HIPAA:
Remind Home Care Workers Of Facebook Rules
Employees have a right to use social media, but must protect identifiable patient informa... Read more
Home Health Documentation:
You Don't Have To Enroll In PECOS -- But You May Want To
CMS spokesperson clarifies agency's online enrollment policy. Don't believe everything yo... Read more
ICD-10:
Prepare for ICD-10 Conversion with 2 Simple Tips
Know your anatomy and physiology if you want a quick transition. It's not too early to st... Read more
You Be The Security Officer:
Set Clear Policy Regarding Time Frames for Authorization
Question: Your patient signs an authorization form in May permitting release of personal ... Read more
Nursing Facility HIPAA Compliance:
Help Staff Sidestep This Psychosocial Privacy Mistake
Doing this can cause residents harm, warns expert. Nursing facility staff members "need t... Read more
Industry Notes:
Theft Tops List of HIPAA Breaches, HHS Report Notes
Just because HIPAA breaches don't make the nightly news doesn't mean they aren't happenin... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Avoid These Cell Phone HIPAA Land Mines
Contacting on-call physicians via text or mobile phone? Make sure those communications are... Read more
E-Prescribing Penalty:
CMS Finalizes Four New Ways to Avoid 2012 E-Prescribing Payment Penalty
Get your exemption application to CMS no later than Nov. 1 if you want to be considered. ... Read more
Part B Forms:
Small Practices Could Be Exempt From Using HIPAA 5010 Form, CMS Says
You must request and receive approval for an ASCA waiver before you're in the clear. If y... Read more
Mac Spotlight:
Enrolled in PECOS Last Year? You'll Still Have to Revalidate
Practices groaned at the notion that they'll have to track down physicians for more signa... Read more
ABNs:
Yes, You Can Still Use an ABN-Style Waiver for Non-Covered, Non-Medicare Services
Steer clear of angry patients and lost reimbursement by covering your bases up front. Whe... Read more
Industry Notes:
Stanford Hospital HIPAA Breach Exposes 20,000 ER Patients' PHI for Almost A Year
Despite the fact that HIPAA requirements have been around for several years now, it can st... Read more
Compliance:
Home in on These Key Medical Record Compliance Issues
Be aware of a crackdown in this area, says OIG official. In a recent HEAT training sessio... Read more
Part B Forms:
You Must Use New ABN by Nov. 1, CMS Says
New form doesn't include major changes, but you are required to switch over to it. It may... Read more
ABN Forms:
Check out These Quick Examples of Appropriate ABN Use
Following are examples of when and how to properly use ABNs. Because of personal concerns... Read more
ePHI:
Are Your ePHI Practices Faulty?
Stop electronic protected health information leaks before they happen with this cautionar... Read more
HITECH Act:
Heed These Enhanced Security Requirements
If your practice or facility has started using health information technology (HIT) to supp... Read more
Documentation:
Code Charts Properly Every Time by Nailing Down Acronyms
Would you be able to count E/M bullets properly if the physician wrote 'WBC WNL'? Sometim... Read more
You Be The Security Officer:
No Patient Authorization? Disclose No PHI
Question: Who's authorized to make a request to review a patient's medical record? Would ... Read more
Industry Note:
HHS Seeks New Facebook App As Disaster Lifeline
In a move that takes on added significance in the wake of Hurricane Irene, the U.S. Depart... Read more
Securing PHI:
How Secure Are Your Data Management Practices?
Encryption holds the key says expert. You're risking substantial security breaches unless... Read more
HIPAA Compliance:
Physician Faces up to 5 Years in Prison for Sharing Medical Information With Patient's Employer
Here's how you can avoid facing a similar fate. HIPAA enforcement is still going full-thr... Read more
5010 Readiness:
Vendors Won't Be Able to Fix This Potential 5010 Snafu, Experts Say
Check on your address fields now -- before mistakes on your claim forms threaten to ... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Have Patient Data? You Can Still Travel Safely
Just make sure you maintain your HIPAA compliance on the road. Protecting your clients' p... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Focus On Your Laptop's Physical Security
You can minimize the risk of people inadvertently seeing protected health information on y... Read more
HIPAA:
Facility Pays $865,500 Fine After Staffers Peeked at Patient Health Records
You don't need celebrity patients to learn from this HIPAA mistake. If you knew Brad Pitt... Read more
Home Health Compliance:
Follow These 5 Steps To Protect Against F2F Claims Denials
Are you doing everything you can to boost your face-to-face compliance? It's no longer ju... Read more
Industry Notes:
Physician Nailed for Role in $200 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
Medicare wants physicians' signatures on their charts -- but only if they're signing ... Read more
HIPAA:
Take These 8 Steps To Information Security Compliance
Check to see how compliant your organization is. If you've become complacent about reduci... Read more
EHR Penalties:
CMS Proposes 4 Additional Exemptions to Help You Avoid EHR Penalty
The agency is accepting comments on the proposal through July 25. Hoping to avoid a one p... Read more
PHI Protection:
Allina Shows the Way with Tough Action
Protection of patient privacy is serious business. Allina Hospitals and Clinics recently ... Read more
Documentation:
Get Providers to Sign Each Time
Answers to 2 common signature questions help ensure you're on track. Including provider si... Read more
Compliancea:
Steer Clear of F2F Violations with Medical Directors
Rules may be different for another physician's patients. Do you know when it's OK for you... Read more
Industry Notes:
Don't be too quick to blame PECOS for all the informational messages you receive about claims lacking valid physician NPIs.
Last year CMS caused a panic among Part B providers by setting deadlines for so-called PEC... Read more
EHR Incentive Pay:
Follow This Advice to Avoid Forfeiting Your EHR Incentive Pay
Hint: CMS provides a simple calculator to tell you whether you're ready for attestation. ... Read more
Version 5010:
Put Your Vendor to Version 5010 Test -- Sooner Rather Than Later
If your vendor isn't getting ready, it's time to consider a switch. You only have a littl... Read more
Patient Privacy:
Peeking at Patient's PHI? Soon, They May Know You Did It
HHS proposes giving patients access to a list of providers who accessed their records. If... Read more
Software Management:
Reconsider Your Online Referral Subscription
OIG gives thumbs down to referral software. Home care providers feeling cornered by hospi... Read more
Industry News:
If you think the ICD-10 codes won't apply to your Medicare claims as of Oct. 1, 2013, CMS has news for you.
If you think the ICD-10 codes won't apply to your Medicare claims as of Oct. 1, 2013, CMS ... Read more
HIPAA:
Can You Afford to Make These Data Security Mistakes?
Legal expert outlines lessons learned from lost hard drives In the second major data secu... Read more
Compliance:
Are You Vulnerable To This HIPAA Violation?
If your staff carries paper PHI offsite, implement these proactive strategies. HIPAA enfo... Read more
Version 5010:
Get Your Practice Ready For the Upcoming Version 5010 Challenges
The 2012 implementation deadline won't change, so now's the time to start preparing. Over... Read more
PQRS:
Know These 5 Common Pitfalls When Using PQRS
Once again, provider documentation could be the linchpin in your success. Whether you're ... Read more
Industry Notes:
Show Employees Where to Turn to Report Compliance Issue
Suppose your compliance plan does not identify who should be contacted if someone sees co... Read more
Reader Question:
Does a Nursing Facility Have to Treat Psych or Substance Abuse Records Differently Under HIPAA or Other Laws?
Question: Are we required to handle medical records requested from a psychiatric or subst... Read more
Electronic Health Records:
Beware: 'Audit-Proof' EHRs Don't Exist,' Experts Say
The responsibility is on your practice -- and not the software or software vendor -... Read more
Enforcement:
HHS Slams Provider With $1 Million HIPAA Fine for Lost PHI
Warning: HIPAA enforcement is ramping up. The feds don't seem afraid to use their HIPAA fi... Read more
Risk Management:
Target These 2 High-Risk HIPAA Areas
Do you have these protections in place for remote access? Some of the riskiest areas in te... Read more
HIPAA:
'Willful Neglect' Violations May Eventually Expand to Stolen Laptops or Other Devices Containing Unencrypted PHI
It could happen, says HIPAA expert. Willful neglect violations can lead to some humongous... Read more
ICD-10:
Start Prepping Now for ICD-10 With 3 Mythbusters
You'll need to implement the new 5010 claim form first to be ready for ICD-10. While the ... Read more
Physician Quality Reporting System:
Know These 5 Common Pitfalls When Using PQRS
Once again, provider documentation could be the linchpin in your success. Whether you're ... Read more
Compliance:
Do Your Providers Meet Signature Requirements on Their Charts?
Answers to 2 common questions help ensure you're on track. Including provider signatures ... Read more
INDUSTRY NOTES
Ready for HIPAA 5010 Requirements? Providers already should be in Level I compliance, not... Read more
Training Strategies:
3 Key Points Maximize Your Scripting Success
Know when canned responses could land you in hot water. While scripting may be a valuable... Read more
Training Tool:
Saddle Up With These Scripting Samples
Use this sample to craft your own practice's script. Has the cat got your staff's tongue ... Read more
Scripting Response:
Attain Optimal Compliance By Scripting Responses For Frontline Staffers
Scripting makes your life easier by putting everyone on the same page. If all the world's... Read more
Compliance Strategies:
6 Steps Help You Guard Against Incidental PHI Disclosures
Understand what "reasonable" protection means for your office. Fail to take appropriate s... Read more
You Be The Security Officer:
How Do You Handle An On-Site Privacy Rule Investigation?
Read the situation below and decide how you would handle it before you compare it to our ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Play It Safe With Voice Mail Messages
Question: Can we leave phone messages on a patient's answering machine? Answer: Yes, but ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Should We Hire Another Security Officer?
Question: Do we need to hire a security officer to begin our compliance efforts with the ... Read more
Compliance Strategies:
Use These 6 Field-Tested Tips To Secure Your Employees' HIPAA Compliance
Address privacy breaches now or risk $10K per incident. You may have invested significant... Read more
Security:
Are You Taking The Right Steps To Protect Your E-mail PHI?
Document patient consent for e-mail messages and keep this on file, experts advise. If yo... Read more
Security Tip:
Craft Your Own E-Mail Disclaimer -- Here's How
Make sure your practice's contact info is on every e-mail. Medical offices that use e-mai... Read more
Privacy:
2 Scenarios Help You Act On Patients' Amendment Requests
Hint: Amend does not mean erase. A patient points out that another patient's information ... Read more
E-Prescribing:
PQRI and E-Prescribing Feature Several Changes This Year
Plus: You may still be subject to E-prescribing penalty -- even if you don't prescri... Read more
You Be The Security Officer:
When Should We Distribute The NPP?
Question: The entire front-office staff collaborated on a fact sheet about the privacy an... Read more
Reader Questions:
Is A Social Security Number Appropriate At Sign In?
Question: We ask patients to write down their date of birth or the last four digits of th... Read more
Reader Questions:
Phishing And Pharming -- Learn The Difference
Question: Our medical office has had problems with "phishing" scams on our Web site. Toda... Read more
Risk Management:
Don't Be Toppled by Giant Fines: Perform a Topnotch HIPAA Security Risk Analysis
Beware: The willful neglect category of violations goes into effect on Feb. 17. If you've... Read more
Electronic Health Records:
Avoid These EHR Coding Pitfalls -- And Collect Your Share of the $44,000 Per-Physician Federal Incentive Bonus
If your EHR is prompting you to check one more exam area so you can upcode to a higher E/... Read more
Disaster Preparation:
Don't Let Disasters Sink Your Data-Driven Operations
2 broad-stroke efforts protect your electronic and paper medical records. As nursing home... Read more
Diagnosis Coding:
Most Practices 'Surprised' By How All-Encompassing ICD-10 Transition Has Been
Best bet: Establish your initial plan for conversion immediately so you can project your ... Read more
Industry Notes
Before you next hit send, read this. A former Geisinger Health System gastroenterologist ... Read more
Reader Question:
To Report or Not to Report a Colleague's Privacy Breach
Here's what to consider if you encounter this dilemma. Question: What should an employee o... Read more
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