May 9th 2024
Don't run afoul of these new privacy and civil rights rules.
March 28th 2024
The peculiarities of healthcare makes private equity investments a fraught proposition.
March 15th 2024
The new rule aligns more closely with HIPAA.
March 14th 2024
Health care employers have the obligation to protect their employees and their patients, while also complying with applicable state and federal laws.
March 13th 2024
Healthcare employers have to strike a balance between their ADA responsibilities and the privacy of their employees.
Medicare’s New Debt Collection Policies Hurts Providers
Medicare has amped up its efforts to collect debts related to alleged billing/coding errors, which is hurting providers in the pocket.
Being a Doctor, Not a Bug Detective
Taking care of a patient is what doctors strive to do, not judging a bee’s intent, a requirement of the new ICD-10 coding system.
Are Practices More Ready for ICD-10 Than They Realize?
WEDI's ICD-10 readiness survey paints an ugly picture for physician practice readiness. However, one expert said the situation may not be that bad.
How Helpful Are CMS’ New Training Tools for ICD-10 Prep?
CMS recently offered new tools for the ICD-10 transition. But some providers are still floundering.
Moving in Front of Healthcare’s Connectivity Curve
Technology tools, like Apple’s ResearchKit, present exciting opportunities for healthcare, but they must be regulated to protect personal health data.
For Many, ICD-10 Readiness Testing is on the Back Burner
With less than two months to go before the ICD-10 goes live, most physician practices haven't done readiness testing. Why not?
The Intersection of Business and Clinical Medicine
Here’s one unique perspective on why in today’s healthcare environment, it’s not easy to reconcile the clinical and business sides of medicine.
Three Steps to Preventing Data Breaches in Your Practice
Practices are more at risk for breaches than ever before. Here are a few steps to protect data in the EHR and elsewhere.
Consolidating Technology as Part of a Practice Merger
While EHRs are important to analyze in any merger, don't forget to assess and formulate a strategy for your compliance technology as well.
Direct Primary Care: What Physicians Need to Know
With the increased buzz around the direct primary care model, here's what you need to know about the private healthcare transition.
Giving Patients What They Really Want from HealthIT
It's common knowledge a more engaged patient is a more compliant patient. So why can't medicine bridge the digital divide to connect with patients?
Making Digital Connections with Patients between Visits
It's time to "bridge the gap" with patients between patient visits. Here's how technology is helping one practice do it.
Ten Online Health Resources to Recommend to Patients
Are your patients relying too much on inaccurate information from Dr. Google? Here are some resources to steer them in a better direction.
Physician Beware: Ruling Expands Reach of Anti-Kickback
Court determines that an illegal referral can exist even if a physician plays no role in determining what provider a patient obtains services from.
Complying with the 60-Day Rule: Tips for Medical Practices
CMS guidance on the 60-day rule can be confusing. Here are some answers to common questions physicians and managers have regarding compliance.
ABCs of Healthcare Corporate Compliance Programs
Outside of an Obamacare repeal, it is nearly certain that mandatory requirements of compliance programs are here to stay. Here's how to prepare.
Eleven Outrageous HIPAA Violations
They did what?! Eleven costly mistakes healthcare providers have made when dealing with confidential patient information.
Seven Tips for Avoiding HIPAA Penalties in 2015
HIPAA "willful neglect" violations can cost medical practices hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here's how to prevent them from occurring at your practice.
Records Requests: Is Your Practice HIPAA Compliant?
What is a provider supposed to do to ensure HIPAA compliance with copying charges when a request for medical records is made? It’s not always easy.
A To-Do List for Medical Practice Compliance Officers
Every medical practice should have a compliance officer. Here are 15 tasks to assign this important individual.
Records Requests: 5 Best Practices for Practices
Information requests consume significant resources and represent a real area of risk for medical practices. Here are the top five actions you should take.
When Patient and Physician Disagree on Treatment
I always seek to provide a therapeutic interaction. However, I often seek it in the certainty of medical knowledge and behind the veneer of science.
Step Up Compliance in 2015: 6 Tips for Practices
Assessing your medical practice for risks and determining the likelihood and severity of impact will help you determine the most important areas to focus on.
Four Major Health Laws Affecting Doctors
Although healthcare is riddled with potential legal issues, there are several key laws that every physician should understand. Here are four of them.
Avoid Staff Benefit Issues at Your Medical Practice
Five recommendations to help ensure your medical practice has clear, consistent staff benefit and compensation policies that comply with state law.
Medical Practice Compliance Program in 4 Steps
If your practice hasn't already initiated a compliance program, here are four ways to begin.
Using Point of Care Registries to Manage High-Risk Patients
In order to get patients the care they need when they need it, consider a risk-stratified care management system tied to point of care registries.
Preparing for a HIPAA Audit: Tips and Resources
The HIPAA audit program under the Office for Civil Rights is expanding and changing. Is your practice prepared?
Patient Communication Preferences Vital in Care Compliance
What you communicate to patients should also consider how you reach them. And with the variety of messaging available, there is also varying patient preference.
Documenting Uncertain Diagnoses: Tips for Physicians
In the outpatient setting, physicians should never assign a diagnosis unless that diagnosis has been confirmed by diagnostic testing, or is otherwise certain.