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Health Information Compliance Alert

HIPAA Enforcement:
Feds Keep Pressure on Despite PHE
Tip: Make risk management a priority in 2021. You might think that a pandemic would impe... Read more
Cybersecurity Toolkit:
Hammer Out Comprehensive Texting Rules for 2021
Tip: Teach staff to pause and think before they click. With COVID-19 forecasts predicti... Read more
Policy:
Stark and AKS Updates Promote IT, Cybersecurity
See new safe harbors on technical donations. A few months ago, the feds announced they we... Read more
Payer Contracts:
Master Payer Negotiations With Expert Insight
Don't forget to address possible 2021 pandemic woes. If your practice checkbook has been... Read more
Reader Question:
Get the Facts on Sharing PHI With Other Providers
Question: The physician of a patient's child requested his protected health information (P... Read more
Industry Notes:
QPP Offers Special PI Hardship Exception for 2020
But, you may want to apply soon as the deadline is fast approaching. If your Merit-Based ... Read more
Cybersecurity:
Feds See Spike in Ransomware Attacks
Caution: Your system may already be infected. Not only are healthcare providers contendi... Read more
Pocket This TTPs’ Breakdown
The feds often put cyber criminals' differentiated actions under the umbrella of tactics, ... Read more
HIPAA Security:
Foil Infiltrators With Beefed-Up HIPAA Compliance
Tip: Hammer out a security management process ASAP. According to recent evidence from the... Read more
Toolkit:
Fine-Tune Remote Coding Policies With Expert Insight
Tip: Don't shirk on IT training and device management. Precise, timely, and trustworthy c... Read more
Industry Notes:
Feds Rework ONC Final Rule Timeline
Plus: Get the scoop on 11 new telehealth additions. If you were worried about complying w... Read more
Industry Notes:
In other news …
On Oct. 14, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that it was c... Read more
HIPAA Security:
Keep Track of Your IT Assets
Tip: Know the who, where, and why on practice mobile devices. Technology is a necessary t... Read more
Privacy:
Don’t Stomp on Employees’ Privacy Rights When Testing for COVID-19
Tip: Review both public health and labor updates frequently. If your organization is see... Read more
Toolkit:
Add These EHR-Related Acronyms to Your HIT Glossary
EHRs and public health reporting can thwart COVID-19. If you work in a busy medical prac... Read more
Enforcement News:
OCR Doubles Down As Third Quarter Ends
See details on 5 HIPAA Right of Access settlements. In 2019, the HHS Office for Civil Rig... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know These HIPAA Facts on Electronic Signatures
Question: We are still seeing a majority of our patients via telehealth at our small prac... Read more
Reader Questions:
PHI Is More Than Just Health Data
Question: Is there more to protected health information (PHI) than just a patient's medica... Read more
Case Study:
Feds See Spike in Vishing Attacks
Tip: Look for misspelled words and glitches. With COVID-19 still a major concern, many he... Read more
Toolkit:
Get the Scoop on Brute Force Attacks
Tip: Use MFA and password controls to combat issues. There's no denying that COVID-19 isn... Read more
Telehealth:
CMS Forges Ahead With Telehealth Proposals
Caveat: EHR data points to decreasing telehealth usage. As the feds push forward with mo... Read more
Compliance:
Invest in Long-Term Compliance Planning
Tip: Don't overcomplicate your policies. With the pandemic continuing to hit practices h... Read more
Prepare for More Compliance Scrutiny
Tip: Collate your COVID-19-related service notes. Whether you're ready or not, Medicare f... Read more
Reader Question:
Know the HIPAA Facts on Encryption
Question: Does electronic protected health information (ePHI) have to be encrypted to be H... Read more
Case Study:
Get a Grip on HIPAA Security
Tip: Encrypt devices or pay the price. Whether your organization is big or small, it's cr... Read more
Telehealth:
Boost Telehealth Documentation With This Advice
Warning: Expect auditors to focus on telehealth claims. During the COVID-19 pandemic, man... Read more
Include These Items in Your Telehealth Documentation
To ensure that your telehealth and phone visits stack up against provider audits, ensure t... Read more
Reader Questions:
See Rules on Contacting Past COVID-19 Patients
Question: We've performed an abundance of COVID-19 tests at our practice. Recently, we rea... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know This NPI Fact
Question: Our practice is moving from Ohio to Pennsylvania. Do our providers need to ... Read more
Enforcement News:
Data Targets Health Inequities During COVID-19
Plus: Review updated hurricane-specific resources. If you're getting financial assistance... Read more
Case Study:
Keep a Grip on HIPAA Compliance
Tip: Understand what ‘acting in good faith' means. If you're stumped by the regulatory ... Read more
Is the Telehealth Expansion Here to Stay?
Legislators want to make updates permanent. There's no denying that telehealth has been a... Read more
Interoperability Policy:
Data Sharing Is Central Theme of New CMS Rule
Check out the health IT requirements sooner rather than later. Even before the pandemic p... Read more
Health It Compliance:
Prepare Now for These 5 Data Policy Rollouts
Hint: Data blocking faux pas will go live eventually. With COVID-19 dominating the news, ... Read more
COVID-19:
Consider 3 Steps Before Resuming In-Person Encounters
Tip: Utilize IT resources to check in with patients. Despite current spikes in COVID-19 c... Read more
Interoperability:
Final Rule Lays Out Data Blocking Exceptions
Understand the conditions, objectives, and categories. There's no denying that data shari... Read more
COVID-19:
Get the Facts on New Telehealth Updates
Feds permit more practitioners to bill telehealth now. Last month, the feds released a ... Read more
Telehealth Services:
5 MAC Tips to Help With COVID-19 Telehealth Updates
Know these PHE basics. You may not be fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines, but that doesn... Read more
Cybersecurity:
Identify Phishers With This Expert Advice
Recognize these common hackers' tricks. Even in the best of times, phishing can take dow... Read more
Reader Question:
HIPAA Still Applies to Outsourced CSPs
Question: Our company uses a small cloud services provider (CSP) based in Canada. Does HIP... Read more
HIPAA:
Don't Forget About Prior Authorization
OCR issues COVID-19-inspired reminder. Due to increased reporting on the coronavirus pan... Read more
Cybersecurity:
Master the Fundamentals of Forensic Investigations
Tip: Ransomware attacks usually warrant a forensic team. Cyber criminals don't take a br... Read more
Know What Happens During a Forensic Investigation
Tip: Don't destroy evidence. Whether you decide — or the feds require you — to hire f... Read more
Privacy & Data Policy:
Get the Scoop on New Bill for COVID-19 Tracking
Senators worry new technologies can infringe on privacy rights. Researchers around the gl... Read more
Industry News:
MFA on Hold for PECOS, NPPES, and I&A
Plus: Feds offer more podcasts on policy, IT, and disaster planning. As the feds roll out... Read more
Reader Question:
Register This COVID-19 Update for Phone-Based Visits
Question: Our practice has been utilizing telehealth to care for patients during the ... Read more
HIPAA:
Know the Numerous COVID-19 Impacts to HIPAA
New flexibilities and notifications of enforcement discretion abound. There's no denying ... Read more
State Laws Still Apply When Federal Regs Are Relaxed
Tip: Private payers may have different rules, too. Whether you realize it or not, many of... Read more
Virtual Care:
Understand the Basics of the COVID-19 Telehealth Expansion
Familiarize yourself with the 4 options. If you're treading the COVID-19 waters with ramp... Read more
Feds Offer Telehealth Start-Up Funding for Providers
If your practice is struggling to get telehealth up and running, you may want to look into... Read more
Toolkit:
Don't Shirk on Analyzing Your Risks in Times of Crisis
Tip: Use your firm's data to configure a risk management plan. You may think that with s... Read more
Industry Note:
ONC Offers HIT Assistance for COVID-19 HIT
There's never been a more critical need for informed IT staff, data sharing, and interoper... Read more
Industry Note:
Check Out ASPR-TRACIE's Plethora of Telemedicine Resources
If your organization needs help setting up virtual services, formulating a compliance plan... Read more
Industry Note:
Beware of COVID-19 Fraud Through Social Media, IT
Even during a crisis of epic proportions like the COVID-19 pandemic, you must be on the lo... Read more
Case Study:
Recent Settlement Highlights Small Practice Vulnerabilities
Put some thought into your HIPAA security or pay the price. Small practices often place H... Read more
Vendors:
Know the Ins and Outs of a Security Risk Analysis
Tip: It's more than just policies and procedures. Your practice likely struggles daily to... Read more
Practice Privacy:
Pocket These Medical Nondisclosure Agreement Basics
Hint: They may not offer the protections organizations count upon. Many industries utiliz... Read more
HIPAA:
Register 4 Tips for Your Right of Access Policies
Hint: Keep abreast of new rules and regs. When the feds change HIPAA, it's usually to cla... Read more
Toolkit:
Use Health IT to Combat Novel Coronavirus Woes
Tip: Technology to thwart the spread. As worries about the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-... Read more
Documentation:
Know the Medicare Rules on E-Signatures
Tip: Remember the exceptions to the rule. If you're confused about Medicare's documentati... Read more
Industry Notes:
Gillibrand Introduces New Data Protection Act in Senate
Plus: The bill proposes a new data agency, too. The feds want to rein in devices and pr... Read more
Case Study:
Court Ruling Adds More Confusion to Right of Access Regs
Tip: Check your state rules on data sharing. If you feel like the feds are sending mixed ... Read more
Records Request Overload Causes Industry Issues
Hint: Rule updates don't always make HIPAA compliance easier. HIPAA updates are usually i... Read more
HIPAA:
Feds Update Privacy Guidance for Novel Coronavirus
Tip: Review your state's privacy rule under a PHE. With the novel coronavirus dominating ... Read more
Fraud & Abuse:
Feds Target EHR-Related Fraud
Investigate your vendors thoroughly to avoid problems. Digital platforms make the practic... Read more
Create a Vendor Scorecard for EHR Check-ups
With more and more digital issues surfacing over the past year, it is critical that practi... Read more
Industry Notes:
Feds Draft New HIT and Patient Access Manifesto
Tip: Offer your 2 cents on the draft ASAP. Over the last few years, many federal healthca... Read more
Cybersecurity Quiz:
Test Your Cybersecurity Smarts With These 10 Questions
Tip: Make staff training a priority in 2020. Data security continues to be the Achilles h... Read more
Telehealth Compliance:
Master Telehealth Reporting with Expert Advice
Tip: Confirm originating site guidance, suggest MAC reps. There's no denying that telehea... Read more
Know These New Code Options for Telehealth
Hint: Opioid abuse treatment gets a boost in 2020. If you rely on telehealth services to ... Read more
Toolkit:
Boost Your AI Knowledge in the New Year
Add these 7 must-know terms to your artificial intelligence word bank. As artificial inte... Read more
Reader Question:
Know the Rules on Documenting Your Risks
Question: We are in the beginning stages of our annual risk assessment. Is there a format ... Read more
Reader Question:
Review Patient Authorization Rules Before Disclosing Test Results to Employers
Question: When an employer pays our office to perform vision tests, can we disclose the ex... Read more
Enforcement News:
Feds Issue Alert on Blue Button 2.0 Threat
Apparently, even Medicare struggles with data security and protecting patients' data, repo... Read more
Enforcement News:
DHS Alerts Healthcare of Possible Iranian Cyber Attacks
As tensions escalate between the United States and Iran, the feds warn the healthcare indu... Read more
Enforcement News:
New Commissioner Starts at FDA
The feds finally confirmed a new Food & Drug Administration (FDA) head after months wi... Read more
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