The OIG Work Plan 2016 was released by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) on November 2, 2015. The OIG Work Plan 2016 is an evolving document which outlines the…
HIPAA Enforcement Settlement: penalties keep on coming
The latest HIPAA enforcement settlement highlights the usual pitfalls On September 2, 2015 the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the latest HIPAA enforcement…
ICD-10 Transition: Ready or not, here it comes!
The ICD-10 transition is coming! The calendar is ticking down the days to the deadline for U.S. health care providers to transition from ICD- 9 to the 10th revision of…
HIPAA Compliant Texting: The Do’s and Don’ts
HIPAA Compliant Texting: What’s New? Questions regarding how to send HIPAA compliant text messages never seem to go away. The use of mobile devices, email inquiries from patients, and ever…
Medical Malpractice Case – will your EHR support you?
A medical malpractice case is always an unpleasant surprise. You may second-guess your actions, or wonder if your insurance company and the attorney they assign are going to do a…
eHealth – what is it and why should I care? Answers from the expert!
What is eHealth? Why should I as a healthcare organization bother about eHealth? What benefits are to be expected from eHealth? And what should we do, if anything? These questions…
Another Reason for a Compliance Program
A United States Supreme Court ruling last week underscored the importance of employing a strong and dynamic healthcare compliance program. On Tuesday, in a unanimous decision, the justices ruled on…
Medicare Payment Overhaul – Finally!
Senate Action on the “Doc Fix” On April 14, 2015 the Senate acted on a bill from the House of Representatives to implement a Medicare payment overhaul, including repealing the…
Senior Housing – What’s in Store for 2015?
Based on data just released, it looks like the outlook for senior housing in 2015 is encouraging. According to the National Investment Center for Senior Housing and Care (NIC) MAP…
The eHealth Initiative – what are the current incentives?
The eHealth initiative is still very hard to discern among all the chatter, even the WHO is addressing the eHealth initiative. Is the eHealth initiative just another new buzzword to…
Telemedicine and eHealth
Telemedicine and ehealth is about the development and improvement of health care by means of telemedicine and internet technology. Terms like eHealth, mHealth, healthIT, to mention a few, are common…
The Feasibility Study and Strategic Planning Process in Healthcare
A feasibility study in healthcare is part of a strategic plan designed to address a medical, acute, or long term care, in or outpatient service expansion or new development. The…
Your Compliance Program – it can keep you out of trouble!
A compliance program is supposed to be a preventive activity, identifying problems before they become serious issues. It doesn’t happen too often, but it is sad anyway when you hear…
2015 OIG Work Plan – Nursing Homes
With the calendar ready to turn to November, the feds released the 2015 OIG Work Plan on October 31, 2014. Traditionally, the OIG has attempted to release its work plan…
2015 OIG Work Plan for Hospitals – what’s new?
The 2015 OIG Work Plan for hospitals and other providers has been released, and once again, hospitals have the dubious distinction of having the most projects (22) devoted to a…
OIG Work Plan 2015 – Impact on Physician Providers
Download the OIG 2015 Work Plan The OIG Work Plan 2015 is being issued “on time” this year, unlike 2014 when it came out 4 months late. Perhaps that’s because…
The 2015 OIG Work Plan – An Introduction
Download the OIG 2015 Work Plan In a devilish twist, the OIG decided to usher in Halloween with a treat of their own, the 2015 OIG work plan. The issuance…
Healthcare Compliance Programs – New perspectives on an old issue
Healthcare Compliance Programs – What are the Feds thinking these days? It seems like we have heard about compliance program requirements until our ears are blue – or whatever happens…
HIPAA and Public Health Disclosures – What’s Permitted?
Is this a HIPAA breach? The disclosure of negative test results for the Dallas policeman who visited the apartment of the first known fatality in the US due to ebola…
Confidential Medical Information – State Laws Matter Too!
The role of state laws in governing confidential medical information were highlighted again last week when a massive lawsuit against Sutter Health was dismissed. A state appeals court acted on…
