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Roger Steven's Blog (88)

Ensuring HIPAA Compliance and Avoiding Penalties

The combination of the implementation of new HIPAA regulations in the HIPAA Omnibus Update of 2013 and increased enforcement and audit activity has forced healthcare organizations to review their compliance and to ensure that they have the proper policies, procedures, and forms in place. Because of this, HIPAA Privacy Officers have been renewing their compliance activities and reviewing their documentation to make sure they can meet…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 27, 2016 at 6:06am — No Comments

Get a complete understanding of HIPAA Phase 2 audits

With HIPAA Phase 2 audits underway, practice and business managers are on tenterhooks on the implementation part of this requirement. The biggest area of concern for these professionals is understanding ways of carrying out Phase 2 audits with a grasp of what their highest risks are for being fined.

Before the audits happen; practice managers, business managers and compliance offers need to get their HIPAA house completely in order. This preparation requires professional guidance, as any… Continue

Added by Roger Steven on October 26, 2016 at 5:51am — No Comments

Getting the CMS’ Quality Payment Program right

The various programs of the CMS, such as Quality Payment Program, MACRA, MIPS and APM incentive implementation need to be given close attention if these programs have to be properly implemented. Healthcare professionals have to pay thorough and full attention to the structure and program-specific details.

This is the right time to start preparing, because the…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 25, 2016 at 5:57am — No Comments

Texting and emailing as part of HIPAA 2016

All the major players in an organization that is required to carry out HIPAA audits, such as information technology managers, business managers and compliance officers, have to be conversant with all aspects of the HIPAA Security Rule as it relates to portable devices. They need to be thoroughly clear about all areas such as…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 24, 2016 at 5:31am — No Comments

MIPS and the New Medicare Quality Payment Program that healthcare providers need to be aware

Healthcare providers have to pay close attention to the structure and program-specific details on CMS's Quality Payment Program, MACRA, MIPS and APM incentive implementation. Since the first performance year for these programs begins on January 1, 2017 and payment adjustments will follow in 2019 (as the 2019 bonus/penalty adjustments will be based on the 2017…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 21, 2016 at 5:58am — No Comments

Fine-tuning biomedical writing brings a number of benefits

A very big misconception in the field of medicine is that biomedical writing is highly technical and replete with jargon, and therefore not creative. There is enough scope in biomedical writing for creativity and the use of artistic and imaginative words without compromising on the meaning or import of the words. In fact, resorting to the use of imaginative words…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 17, 2016 at 6:00am — No Comments

Practice Managers need to be thorough in their understanding of HIPAA requirements



Practice managers, business managers and compliance officers need to have all their points in order before a HIPAA audit. They need to be fully educated about the misconceptions and realities of a HIPAA audit, since there is a lot of misinformation about HIPAA that keeps doing the rounds most of the time. These professionals who deal with HIPAA audits for their…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 14, 2016 at 6:24am — No Comments

Adherence to the Anti-Kickback and Stark Law is more than just a compliance issue

The Anti-Kickback and Stark Law is a vital Act for healthcare practitioners, and it includes several changes for 2016.

Is the implementation of the Stark Law important? It is much more than being just important. It is critical. The reason for this is that lack of proper implementation of this law in its entirety attracts substantial awards and settlements, as…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 13, 2016 at 5:55am — No Comments

Understanding HIPAA Compliance Requirements

An organization that needs to be HIPAA compliant has to not only ensure that it provides the appropriate patient rights and controls on its uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information (PHI); it has to also have the proper policies and procedures in place. Any organization that is the subject of a compliance review or is being audited has to demonstrate to the government that it has both the documentation necessary for safeguarding patient PHI, as well as the ability to show…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 12, 2016 at 5:54am — No Comments

Know the ropes of social media in healthcare to avoid costly penalties from HIPAA

Any healthcare organization that is active on the social media is vulnerable to some or another kind of Protected Health Information (PHI) breach. Although a healthcare practice or business benefits greatly in terms of marketing and publicity from the judicious use of the social media for; data stored on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or Instagram leaves it susceptible…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 11, 2016 at 6:34am — No Comments

Preparing for a HIPAA audit

An organization that needs to be HIPAA compliant has to not only ensure that it provides the appropriate patient rights and controls on its uses and disclosures of Protected Health Information (PHI); it has to also have the proper policies and procedures in place. Any organization that is the subject of a compliance review or is being audited has to demonstrate to the…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 6, 2016 at 6:17am — No Comments

Healthcare computer systems implementation involves choosing the right method

Healthcare computer systems implementation can be anything from a headache to nightmare, given its complexity. Things can go wrong at any stage and for any reason. Getting the computer systems right or implementing the right one involves investment of considerable time and money from all kinds of healthcare organizations, big or small.

Fortunately, many of…

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Added by Roger Steven on October 3, 2016 at 6:00am — No Comments

HIPAA’s position on use of mobile devices and maintaining privacy and security

HIPAA has regulations concerning the use of the mobile devices to access Protected Health Information PHI). Secure technologies for communications and storage of data should also be considered when using portable technologies. Due to these requirements, the use of portable devices by patients and staff can be complex. It requires careful consideration of the…

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Added by Roger Steven on September 30, 2016 at 6:21am — No Comments

Making Collections and Appeals easier

Collections and Appeals for past due amounts can be difficult in any industry; adding the Medical Billing office element to it complicates it further. With this, one has the share of cost for patients, Medicare rules and Regulations, Private Payor contracts, and Collectors without experience in medical terminology needed for successful claims appeals to deal with.

Collections and Appeals in the medical billing office can be successful only when one has the right tools, the…

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Added by Roger Steven on September 22, 2016 at 6:44am — No Comments

Transitioning to a career in biopharmaceuticals requires skillset upgradation

Of late, there has been an explosion in the field of biopharmaceuticals in activities ranging from development to manufacture. Although this augurs well for the industry; there are concerns, nevertheless.

These concerns relate mainly to the inadequacy of the skillsets needed for this industry. There is a widespread feeling in the industry circles that the existing or potential skillsets may not be sufficient for coping with the huge demand the industry is…

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Added by Roger Steven on September 22, 2016 at 12:07am — No Comments

Understand the False Claims Act to be a better whistleblower

Whistleblowing is a very important area of the healthcare industry. When exercised properly and with integrity, it helps expose major frauds and saves the industry from many malpractices. There have been instances of whistleblowers bringing many companies into the legal net and helping save frauds.

A whistleblower act, or what is called or qui tam action, can offer huge financial rewards to those who are retaliated against for exposing financial fraud that their company…

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Added by Roger Steven on September 20, 2016 at 6:35am — No Comments

Physician Leases need to be structured under the new 2016 Stark Rules

Stark Law, more formally referred to as The Physician Anti-Referral Law (known as Stark II), is a prominent law concerning physician referrals. Healthcare providers that file claims require compliance with the Stark rules. Failure to comply can invite an enforcement action. The fundamental aim of this law is the elimination of malpractices in the healthcare sector. Implemented in stages known as Stark II and Stark III; the Stark Laws consider particular actions on the part of the…

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Added by Roger Steven on September 19, 2016 at 6:39am — No Comments

Understanding the final regulations for the new HIPAA Breach Notification Rule

The final regulations for the new HIPAA Breach Notification Rule place a far greater burden on Covered Entities and Business Associates than earlier. It is not enough for them to just notify individuals whose Protected Health Information (PHI) have been affected. For them to determine if a breach occurred, they must follow and document a very specific process. Their work does not end here. If no Breach occurred, then documentary evidence to this effect must be compiled and kept for…

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Added by Roger Steven on September 16, 2016 at 6:55am — No Comments

The Conditions of Participation for Discharge Planning set for change

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed major changes into the Conditions of Participation for Discharge Planning. These changes will have a profound effect on case management departments, which are now required to put in place a plan of action that addresses the new requirements that will affect their departments. Among the changes that will be made are out-patient discharge planning assessments, 7 days a week/24 hours a day discharge planning, and care…

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Added by Roger Steven on September 13, 2016 at 8:41am — No Comments

Risk analysis is the soul of HIPAA implementation

The criticality of risk analysis to HIPAA implementation can be understood from the fact that inability to carry out this activity is the principal reason for which The United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS or just HHS) levies civil money penalties on Business Associates and Covered Entities.

This means that Covered Entities and…

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Added by Roger Steven on September 2, 2016 at 6:56am — No Comments

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