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Health Information Compliance Alert

Case Study:
Does Big Fine for Single HIPAA Violation Spell Trouble for Providers?
Hint: Protecting even one patient's privacy still matters to OCR. In most cases, it's onl... Read more
Ask Yourself These Privacy Rule Questions
Ensure your protocols hold up under scrutiny. Whether your practice experiences a HIPAA v... Read more
Promoting Interoperability:
CMS Overhauls Promoting Interoperability for 2019
Plus: 2015 Edition EHR now required for MIPS providers. If you thought the regulation mer... Read more
Check Out 3 Award-Winning 2015 Edition CEHRT Products
HHS releases its CHPL Data Challenge winners. With the 2015 Edition Certified EHR Technol... Read more
Cybersecurity:
Combat Data Breaches in 2019 with These Expert Tips
Hint: There's more to a risk analysis than an EHR check-up. If you haven't analyzed and u... Read more
Toolkit:
Thwart Inside Threats With These Pointers
Tip: Implement multi-factor authentication on all your devices. The news is always ripe w... Read more
HITECH:
RFI Spells Trouble for Breached Practices in the Future
Feds look at ways to quantify HIPAA breaches — and pay patients for lost PHI. Though st... Read more
Telemedicine Roundup:
Virtual Care Goes Mainstream in 2019
Telehealth services are at the intersection of many new policies. There's no denying that... Read more
Cybersecurity:
Pocket This Charity Advice to Sidestep Scams
Tip: Do your research before your practice donates cash. Helping a worthy charity or bols... Read more
Toolkit:
Beef Up Your Cybersecurity With This New Tool
Hint: Calculate your practice risk and manage it. Under the provisions of the HIPAA Secur... Read more
Enforcement News:
Anthem's HIPAA Settlement With OCR Biggest in History
As 2014 ended and 2015 began, private payer, Anthem, Inc., suffered the biggest HIPAA viol... Read more
Enforcement News:
Ohio Implements Safe Harbor Law for Cybersecurity
In another case of the states supporting data security best practices, Ohio has upped its ... Read more
Reader Question:
Cut Down On Identity Theft With Proper PHI Disposal Protocols
Question:  Our primary care practice is relocating to another office with more space,... Read more
Case Study:
States Step Up As Federal HIPAA Enforcement Decreases
Tip: Review state rules before you outline your compliance plan. HIPAA compliance remains... Read more
Add These 5 Measures to Your Compliance Checklist
Check your state's provisions to make sure you're up-to-date. If your state's laws regard... Read more
See 2 Recent State Offerings That Go Beyond HIPAA
Tip: With breach reporting, timing is everything. The onset and improvement of health IT ... Read more
Cybersecurity:
FDA Offers New Incident Response Ideas for Medical Devices
Tip: Keep medical devices off the network if possible. Recent studies point to the impor... Read more
Clip And Save:
Pocket This Handy Security Rule Chart
BA agreements are mandated under the ‘organizational requirements' section. As problems... Read more
Industry Note:
AHIMA-Backed Tool Helps Patients Find Medical Data
If your patients want to quickly and easily review their medical records online, a handy n... Read more
Industry Note:
New ONC Data Shows Majority of Providers Use CEHRT
The healthcare industry has adopted health IT at a quick pace over the past decade, making... Read more
Industry Note:
CMS Clarifies Telehealth Modifier Usage
Last year, CMS eliminated modifier GT (Via interactive audio and video telecommunication s... Read more
Industry Note:
Feds Promote Telemedicine for Opioid Abuse Treatment
Congress is hoping to pass “opioid package” legislation that could give both clinician... Read more
Industry Note:
Review New HHS Hurricane Resources
If you are struggling due to a natural disaster, HHS has new offerings to combat issues. ... Read more
Case Study:
Summer Breaches Pummel Providers
Cyber attack tops the list of reasons for the uptick in PHI losses. If your practice is p... Read more
Risk Management:
There's More Than Just Lost PHI at Stake with a Data Breach
Tip: Encryption remains a critical deterrent to hackers. Try as you might to prevent them... Read more
Review the Top 3 Biggest Breaches this Summer
Hint: Teach your staff about the dangers of phishing. June, July, and August are traditio... Read more
Clip And Save:
Know How a Public Health Emergency Works
Review the 1135 Waiver specifics for HIPAA questions after a disaster. Pocket this who, w... Read more
Compliance:
Heed Language Discrimination Updates or Risk OCR Reprisals
Tip: Translate your Patient's Rights notice into top 15 languages, expert advises. Home h... Read more
Toolkit:
Evaluate Your Practice Risks with This Q-and-A
Plan for every scenario to sidestep chaos. Accidents happen, employees leave, and disaste... Read more
Health Information Policy:
CMS Puts Interoperability on the Front Burner
Plus: CY 2019 MPFS proposal suggests more technical overhauls ahead for MIPS. Whether you... Read more
Telehealth:
Feds Forge Ahead with Virtual Health Change-Ups
Plus: See more options for physicians as care goes online. The reduction of physicians' a... Read more
Toolkit:
Boost Your eHealth Vernacular with 9 Must-Know Definitions
Don't be fooled by vendors that ‘cloud wash' their products. Health IT continues to imp... Read more
HIPAA:
HHS Secretary Suggests Some HIPAA Policies Need Updating
Hint: Coordination and value are at the root of the recommended changes. HIPAA compliance... Read more
Enforcement News:
CMS Stresses Importance of PECOS Compliance and Cyber Threats
Plus: Think twice about device disposals. HIPAA requires that practices safeguard their p... Read more
Reader Question:
F2F Visits Matter in the HIPAA and Free Sample Debate
Question: Our family practice frequently hands out free samples to patients. We had an out... Read more
Case Study:
Follow Through on Your Risk Issues or Pay the Price
Encryption fails bring massive penalties, OCR case shows The HIPAA Security Rule requires... Read more
Keep Your Conscience Clean with Better Risk Management
Tip: Scrutinize your analysis, then put a course of action in place. The issues that trip... Read more
Enforcement:
Get the Facts on HIPAA Violations and Penalties
Even low-tier penalties can add up to millions, recent case illustrates. You might think ... Read more
Technology Trends:
Think Twice Before Jumping on Board the Virtual Assistant Bandwagon
Remember: No BAA, no deal. Information technology has propelled medicine into areas never... Read more
Cybersecurity:
Prevent Medical Mayhem with Better Patch Protocols
Tip: Check with your software vendor to ensure patches are appropriate. When you delete o... Read more
Toolkit:
Check Out HIPAA Privacy Rule Revisions for PHI Use in Research
HHS and others delay “Common Rule” implementation. The feds are slashing administrati... Read more
Case Study:
Make the Physical Security of Your Office a Priority
Break-ins happen more than you think. The majority of HIPAA breaches are due in part to a... Read more
Manage HIPAA Security with These Low-Cost Basics
Even the way you set up your office infrastructure can deter thieves, OCR says. It's impo... Read more
Compliance:
Get the Facts on BA Agreements
Tip: Thoroughly investigate your CSP to ensure a record of HIPAA compliance. The protecti... Read more
BAAs Aren't Always the Answer
Contracts differ according to the access and disclosure levels of PHI. Many of the people... Read more
Toolkit:
Prep BAs with 4 Tips for HIPAA Security Success
Advise your business partners on the telltale signs of a cyberattack Your business associ... Read more
Enforcement News:
ONC Wants Your Opinion on Improving EHRs
Plus: Malware incident impacts over 500,000 patients. Though the recent statistics sugges... Read more
Reader Question:
Use Diverse Techniques to Get the Best Risk Analysis
Question: Our midsize practice did a HIPAA risk analysis last year. At our last team meeti... Read more
Policy:
CMS Reworks MU as 'Promoting Interoperability'
Practices will face penalties for not sharing data with patients, CMS says. Rebrands, rev... Read more
Clip and Save:
To Notify or Not to Notify — That Is the Question
Follow this decision tree to determine breach reporting. Practices often struggle with de... Read more
Compliance:
Look Beyond HIPAA to Protect Health Information and Technology
Don't forget your employees health information must remain confidential, too. Although th... Read more
Toolkit:
OCR Tool Explains PHI Disclosure Rules During an Emergency
Ask yourself these 3 questions to ensure HIPAA compliance. The care and treatment of pati... Read more
Enforcement News:
MD May See Fines and Jail Time for HIPAA Violation
Most HIPAA breaches concern the accidental release of patients' health records. In fact, t... Read more
Enforcement News:
Assess Your GDPR Readiness Before May 25 Release
If your practice engages in medical research, you may want to review international privacy... Read more
Enforcement News:
Alabama Joins Other States with Breach Notification Law
Providers must follow certain data breach and notification policies federally covered unde... Read more
Reader Question:
HIPAA Doesn't Lapse After a Patient Passes Away
Question: How long do I need to maintain a patient's private health information after that... Read more
Telehealth:
Bipartisan Budget Act Aims to Increase Telehealth Options
Expansions build on importance of telemedicine in Medicare. There's no question that trea... Read more
Cybersecurity Quiz:
Test Your HIPAA Security Prowess
Tip: 2018 is ramping up to be a banner breach year - prepare now. The HHS Office for Civi... Read more
Toolkit:
Implement Strong MDM Protocols to Ensure HIPAA Compliance
Hint: Make encryption a priority. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops are essential to runn... Read more
Revenue Booster:
Target New Patients with SEO Know-How
Put your practice details at the top of the heap with SEO. The last decade has solidified... Read more
Enforcement News:
Where Does Your EHR Fall in the 2018 Black Book Rankings?
If you feel like an EHR upgrade is in your future, you may want to peruse the most recent ... Read more
Enforcement News:
Patients Over Paperwork Pushes Health Data Coordination Forward
Last month, CMS unveiled its new program MyHealthEData, allowing patients more control ove... Read more
Enforcement News:
Check Out HealthIT.gov's New Look
If you've had trouble navigating the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Inf... Read more
Health Information Policy:
Feds Reveal New Plan to Overhaul Interoperability
Proposed changes promote patient-directed data sharing. Quality and cost continue to impa... Read more
Know the Impacts of the CMS Health IT Changes
Update your CEHRT to the 2015 edition by 2019, CMS says. Health IT makes light work of do... Read more
Case Study:
HIPAA Compliance Continues Past Business Closures
State and federal laws often differ on the protection, retention, and disposal of PHI. En... Read more
HIPAA:
Make Time for HIPAA Training
Hint: Clinicians and management require educational updates, too. From coding to complian... Read more
Clip And Save:
Add These 10 Buzz Words to Your Cybersecurity Checklist
Yes, vishing is a thing. Health technologies seemingly evolve at the speed of light - and... Read more
Toolkit:
Know the States' Rules on Social Media and Medicine
Avoid online faux pas with patients to keep your license intact. Social media as a market... Read more
Enforcement News:
Utilize Social Media for Emergency Efforts with Care
Plus: CMS offers updated guide on telehealth. Social media moves mountains and impacts ch... Read more
Case Study:
5 Breaches Net $3.5 Million in Fines for Large Health Organization
Risk management must be pervasive or violations will ensue, OCR advises. The old saying "... Read more
Compliance:
Consider this Violation Primer to Combat HIPAA Breaches
Tip: Encrypt your data - it's just that simple. Fresenius Medical Care North America's (F... Read more
Telehealth:
2018 MPFS Final Rule Solidifies New Telehealth Options
Bipartisan efforts are in the works to utilize telehealth for opioid crisis. Telemedicine... Read more
Toolkit:
Design Your Own HIPAA Breach Notification Letter with this Template
Tip: No matter the breach size, you must let patients know. If a HIPAA breach occurs at y... Read more
Enforcement News:
Do You Have Ideas to Improve EHR Interoperability? CMS Wants to Know
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) put out a call to clinicians, researchers, and... Read more
Enforcement News:
FCC Moves to Increase Telehealth Options for Rural America
Despite studies that suggest telehealth is underutilized in the United States, the feds se... Read more
Enforcement News:
HHS Unveils New Religious Freedom Division
Last month, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) added a new department to its slate: Con... Read more
Case Study:
Risk-Assessment Fails Lead to Millions in Penalties
OCR continues to make examples of those that skimp on risk management. HIPAA issues arise... Read more
HIPAA Quiz:
Test Your HIPAA Security Rule Smarts
Tip: A business associate agreement means HIPAA applies to you. Though HIPAA privacy viol... Read more
Clip And Save:
Sidestep "Malvertising" Mayhem With These Expert Tips
Hint: Keep on top of the latest software patches. Healthcare hackers have a seemingly bot... Read more
Cybersecurity:
Take a Look at the Biggest Breaches of 2017
Here is a breakdown of the biggest losses of ePHI. HIPAA privacy has been at the forefron... Read more
Enforcement News:
New AMA Study Highlights Importance of Cybersecurity
Research from the nation's top physicians' group suggests that cyber attacks are more comm... Read more
Enforcement News:
CMS Updates Texting Rules
Texting is the communication modus operandi of most patients these days. Healthcare provid... Read more
Enforcement News:
Find Out If Your EHR Edition Is MIPS Friendly
Do you know if your EHR is certified? Is your vendor on the feds "banned" list? If you pla... Read more
Reader Question:
Consider a Cloud-Based EHR in 2018
Remember to research vendors to find the best-fit for your practice size and needs. Quest... Read more
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