Policy

Is your practice compliant with the Eliminating Kickbacks and Recovery Act of 2018 (EKRA)? If you don't know what EKRA is, you are not alone-and that is part of the problem.

Nosy employees poking around in medical records or sharing passwords can put your practice at risk of HIPAA violations, lawsuits, and broken agreements with affiliate hospitals or practices.

The leading cause of physician burnout also puts patients at risk of medical errors, the third leading cause of death in the United States.

The government’s change to the H-1B process could negatively impact thousands of physicians who wish to practice in rural communities and intensify the growing physician shortage.

Parsing out the various terms used in relation to a patient’s health record can be daunting. Here’s a primer to make the process less intimidating

The legality of caring for minor patients once they turn 18.

Recent False Claims Act settlement underscores the importance of accurate Meaningful Use attestations.

It’s great that you want to share the wealth with your nonphysician employees. Just make sure you draft a policy that also meets state and federal laws.

A look back at notable U.S. Department of Justice settlements and policy directives to see what lies ahead for 2019.

Lax policies regarding medical records and ordering prescriptions and tests puts physicians-and their practices-at risk of DEA and HIPAA violations.

A trend to watch: Last year, two states made significant changes to laws related to personally identifiable information and protected health information.

Physicians who write a script for themselves, or their friends and family, risk a suspended license-unless they have a record of proper documentation.

Four ways advances in EHR technology can help providers achieve mandated MIPS target performance to not only report but also improve patient care.

The recently passed SUPPORT Act addresses various aspects related to the opioid crisis through a series of more than 120 separate bills. Here are five sections physicians should be aware of.

A look over the Office for Civil Rights’ recent HIPAA actions reveal why privacy and security safeguards are a must for medical practices.

More patients are recording their visits at the doctor’s office, sometimes without permission.

Until recently, arrangements between physicians and commercial laboratories escaped federal anti-kickback rules because the arrangements did not involve government payers. 

Although physicians may not be involved with the cybersecurity of medical devices, they are still obligated to comply with HIPAA and the HITECH Act.

Proper billing and coding under CMS’s final rule is important not only for reimbursement but also to avoid potential lawsuits.

Before you sign on the dotted line, here are some legal issues to keep in mind for letters of intent.

Insurance giant Anthem was recently tagged with a $16 million-dollar HIPAA penalty. What can you do to keep your solo or small practice from getting hit?

Following the Anthem settlement, the Fall 2018 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions doubles down on HIPAA privacy and enforcement efforts.

Doctors are pitched a variety of tax planning schemes at the end of each year by both salespeople and well-meaning friends and colleagues. Here is a final look at some common tax evasion landmines physicians must be aware of.

The suspension of a New York nurse highlights the intersection between HIPAA and trade secrets.

The line between sharing helpful information and “affinity fraud” is very thin when well-meaning friends and colleagues share bad information.

Legal insights from both sides of the aisle about what to do when protected health information (PHI) has been disclosed or when law enforcement requests it in a legal proceeding.

Here are the basics every physician must be familiar with before implementing any tax plan.

The cure for docs who have seen too many government-induced healthcare acronyms? A heaping dose of alphabet soup. 

Terminating a provider’s employment with a physician practice is a sensitive process that needs to be handled with care.

A recent $65M False Claims Act settlement highlights physicians' responsibility to provide the best care as well as correctly document and appropriately code it.