Rachel V. Rose, J.D., MBA

When physicians and other entities resist complying with HIPAA requirements, it can lead to an increase in practice liability.

TAP - technical, administrative, and physical controls should form the foundation of HIPAA compliance.

When attesting to meaningful use, be sure you are truthful about your HIPAA compliance efforts. Otherwise, you could risk being audited.

A False Claims Act case brought by the Department of Justice highlights the importance of these arrangements.

If you as a physician have ownership interests in any facility that you refer patients to, be sure you are in compliance with federal and state statutes.

The Anthem data breach illustrates the need for physicians to outline protocols in their practice to comply with new HIPAA reporting requirements.

Here are five ways you can mitigate the risk of a coding audit or fines in your practice, in relation to the coming ICD-10 conversion.

The recent imposition of penalties by the DOJ in two instances should cause physicians to re-evaluate their policies and practices.

Encrypting data is a prudent measure for physicians who want to increase HIPAA compliance while diminishing their risk.

Winter weather often leads to an increase in hospitalizations. Make sure you document all preexisting conditions prior to hospitalization.

The start of the New Year begs that a to-do list be formed. For medical practices, these five items should be at the top.

CMS recently announced that 257,000 eligible professionals will face Medicare payment adjustments because of noncompliance with meaningful use standards.

For hospice providers in both acute care and home settings, one item to place on your New Year's resolutions list is CAHPS Survey Implementation.

The importance of HIPAA policies and procedures should not be overlooked. Doing so can be costly.

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.