Legal Compliance

Here are tips for managing three medical practice risk areas: HIPAA breaches, Medicare audits, and EHR liability issues.

Earlier this week, new HIPAA mandates went into effect. Is your practice in compliance?

The social media activity of your medical practice staff could be putting you and your practice at risk.

Sept. 23, 2013 is the date for compliance with the HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule. Updated business associate agreements and Notice of Privacy Practices are critical.

Do you believe incentives, such as direct payments, would help motivate your patients to engage in healthier behaviors?

A bill proposed in Congress would significantly revise the current IOAS exception.

Learn what you need to focus on now to adequately prepare for the ICD-10 transition.

Treating family members may seem like an easy and convenient option, but it can lead to big problems. Here's why.

Think carving out Medicare and Medicaid patients from your business arrangements makes you safe from federal fraud and abuse laws? Think again.

If you are an independently minded physician, take heart. There is a way to work with new quality standards and still retain your autonomy.

Physician practices must constantly review existing restrictive covenant provisions to ensure they are compliant with state law.

Physicians considering changing their status as enrolled and participating Medicare providers must be aware of their options and legal requirements.

Medicare and Medicaid providers must return overpayments once identified. Here are two different refund approaches for practices to consider when necessary.

Medical practices must screen prospective providers to identify those excluded from federal healthcare programs.

Recent high-profile lawsuits involving bloodborne pathogen exposures highlight the risk of complacency and the need for industry responsibility.

Recent OIG alert includes a warning to physicians involved in physician-owned distributorships and important considerations for those considering involvement.

There are three key elements to increasing the engagement of both patients and physicians in the care continuum, according to a health IT expert and a health system exec.

Noteworthy items from Physicians Practice.

The government is now coming after small practices that violate HIPAA. Here are ten do's and don'ts to help you up your game.

In this podcast, consultant Ronald Sterling notes the critical steps every practice should take to verify the clinical content in its EHR.

The HIPAA final rule, released Jan. 17, 2013, includes new guidance regarding the transfer of medical records.

Share what you do in this type of situation and why. Your response might help another physician deal with this issue.

Some of the key items outlined in the Physician Payment Sunshine Act final rule and how physicians can prepare for enforcement.

Providers across the country are questioning what should be done if they believe a patient poses a threat to others. Here’s some guidance.

With 10,000 new 65-year-old patients each day, it's important that physicians act now to keep them healthy by improving preventative care.