There is a lot of discussion these days about the culture. You can read about how it is crumbling, or you can hear about how it is expanding to encompass…
The Ultimate Guide to Medical Office HIPAA Compliance
The original Health Insurance Privacy and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in 1996. The HIPAA Privacy Rule, a part of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification regulations, has been in effect for…
HIPAA Security Rule: Technical Safeguards
The HIPAA security rule technical specifications are one of the three required safeguards of the HIPAA Security Rule. The Physical safeguards focus on policies and procedures for aspects such as how…
HIPAA Security Rule, Computers, and Administrative Safeguards
It’s been almost 27 years since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was passed by Congress. And it’s been almost 20 years since the initial adoption of…
HIPAA Business Associate (Definition, Agreement, and More)
The original HIPAA Privacy Rule of 2003 included provisions for Covered Entities (health care providers, health insurance issuers, and health care clearinghouses) to share protected health information on behalf of…
Hospital Price Transparency – Boon or Bust?
Price Transparency – it’s something we expect in almost everything else we consider purchasing, right? So why shouldn’t we expect hospital price transparency as well? That is undoubtedly what members…
Code of Conduct for Healthcare – 18 things to include
Many healthcare organizations of any size have a Code of Conduct. These codes are designed to demonstrate the organization’s dedication to ethical behavior and compliance with the healthcare services organization’s…
When can the OCR Audit You?
If you are wondering just when can the OCR audit your covered entity or business associate organization, you may conclude “any time it darn well wants to”. Well, that’s an…
Denial Management in Healthcare – Be Proactive
Denial management in healthcare – sounds like a topic that Chief Financial Officers and Revenue Cycle Directors are very interested in. However, in today’s environment, where every bit of lost…
Changes in the OIG Self-Disclosure Protocol
Eight years after the last revision, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Health and Human Services Department has updated the OIG Self-disclosure Protocol. The update was issued on…
HIPAA Physical Safeguards: Security Rule Implementation
HIPAA’s Security Rule requires that there be measures, policies, and procedures in place that address a covered entity or business associate’s efforts to secure electronic protected health information (ePHI). It…
Key Performance Indicators for Healthcare
There are a lot of people offering key performance indicators (KPIs) or healthcare metrics for the healthcare industry. If you are a physician or medical group, should you consider developing…
HIPAA Wall of Shame: no hiding from the public facts
The HIPAA Wall of Shame is a highly visible reminder that data breaches involving protected health information are real, and can have serious consequences for all involved. You can learn…
Medical Practice Valuation: What factors matter most?
A medical practice valuation (especially from a consultant!) may seem like a black box: some data goes in and a number comes out. Fortunately, the components and process are a…
Anti-Kickback Law in Healthcare – a comprehensive look
The U.S. Federal Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) is the governing law that prohibits any person or entity from knowingly and willfully offering, paying, or soliciting any type of remuneration for referrals….
Ransomware and HIPAA: trends and what to do
Ransomware attacks in the healthcare industry have become increasingly common in recent years, threatening patient care, disrupting daily operations, and possibly compromising protected health information (PHI). Under HIPAA rules, organizations…
What is the False Claims Act in Healthcare?
What is the relationship between the healthcare industry and the False Claims Act? Turns out, it is pretty intimate! In this Article … The False Claims Act – some background…
A Proposed HIPAA Rule Change for 2023
A proposed HIPAA Rule change for 2023 was an early Christmas gift from the Health and Human Services Department (HHS)! On December 21, 2022, HHS released a proposed rule covering…
Is Zoom HIPAA Compliant?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information. And the question “Is Zoom…
How to Open a Nursing Home: what you need to know
Contrary to popular notion, there are no “simple” steps to opening a nursing home. However, there are specific, essential elements that you must address. I’ve been a licensed nursing home…