Rachel V. Rose, JD, MBA

Federal HIPAA violations and state law causes of action are nothing to ignore. The penalties are substantial.

Court signals federal HIPAA violations do not prevent claimants from bringing a state common-law suit; cautions physicians on the extent of practice liability.

In order to prevail in golf, you need to know the nuances of the game. Likewise, physicians should know how to navigate HIPAA.

State HIPAA laws typically work in tandem with federal rulings. And, in the case of legal action, related state statutes are found to apply.

The confidentiality and integrity of protected health information should be a primary goal for all who handle it.

Make sure you are aware of these legal changes: medical malpractice cap limits; third-party billing practices; and enforcement of Notice of Privacy Practices.

Confidentiality, integrity, and encryption are all items that need to be addressed within a medical practice's data security policy for business associates.

The misdiagnosis of the Dallas Ebola patient who recently died raises several liability issues for physicians.

Broader definition of personal identifiable information requires medical practices to review HIPAA compliance and adhere to security policies.

ACOs enable collaboration between hospitals and physicians because of protections provided under the healthcare reform law.

No business is safe from cyber attacks. Physicians can benefit from both performing due diligence and purchasing insurance to mitigate the risk of loss.

In a new ruling, CMS agrees to partially pay pending hospital claims in exchange for withdrawal of claims appeals.

Even if your practice does not suffer a HIPAA breach of confidential patient data, being noncompliant can land you in hot water as well.

In light of continuing Medicare fraud, it is vital to review your coding and billing procedures. Prevention is key to avoiding expensive take-backs.

Medical providers need to be wary of vendors who sell compliance products. All companies who espouse compliance are not necessarily compliant.

The deadline for reviewing records and reporting compliance with the Sunshine Act is Aug. 27. There are several tools to make that task easier for physicians.

Anyone involved with protected health information at your medical practice can be the one who gets you fined for a HIPAA violation. So due diligence is a must.

Physicians have a multitude of options when structuring ACOs. Make sure you understand all the legal requirements before committing your practice.

By helping patients and their families design a life care plan, physicians can help them to navigate the complexities of a catastrophic or serious injury.

A HIPAA risk assessment can help your practice put safeguards in place to protect against both cyberthreats and cyberliability.

Proposed changes to the Physician Fee Schedule for 2015 will affect calculation of payment rates and potentially misvalued codes.

Whether you are working with off-shore radiologists or your own coding department, using the same language is vital.

Physicians are likely to be challenged with conflict in their practices. It is important to know how to approach it in a positive manner.

Complying with HIPAA means conducting due diligence when it comes to business associates. Make sure your partners protect and secure patient data.

HHS is working to craft an agreement to share public health information in the event of a pandemic between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Did you know, as custodian of your patients' protected health information, you are required by HIPAA to create a contingency plan?

Perfect for the office bulletin board, here is an "Ode to HIPAA."

Roughly half of all medical practices have implemented EHR, but they still have a long way to go in terms of meaningful use and recovery audit contractors.

HIPAA security provisions for protecting electronic patient data not only apply to medical practices but their business associates as well.

Many states subcontract with business associates that outsource administrative functions offshore; creating potential HIPAA violations in data security.