This OIG 2016 Work Plan Update mid-year summarizes new and ongoing reviews and activities that OIG plans to pursue with respect to HHS programs and operations during the current fiscal…
Healthcare False Claims Act Penalties May Double
The Department of Justice has just released a proposed rule that would include a doubling of the Healthcare False Claims Act penalties. How worried should healthcare providers be? The Healthcare…
HIPAA Breach: it’s your PHI, but you didn’t send the Email!
HIPAA Breach, your ePHI, but you didn’t send the email: you may be liable anyway! This HIPAA Breach question was forwarded to me recently: “Is this a HIPAA Breach on…
Assisted Living Market Study – What is it and why is it important?
We receive numerous inquiries for an assisted living market study. The majority come from individuals/organizations that are not familiar with what an assisted living market study exactly is, what it…
Healthcare Cyber Attacks! Is your Organization at Risk?
We’ve all heard of the recent healthcare cyber attacks on organizations like 21st Century Oncology Holdings and Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. Although these were two very different cyber attacks, nonetheless…
HIPAA Phase 2 Audits – Have you been notified yet?
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the Health and Human Services Department (HHS) has just announced it is starting HIPAA Phase 2 Audits, this time focusing on business associates…
Healthcare Cyber Insurance – are you keeping up your end?
Healthcare Cyber Insurance is pretty much mandatory. Proliferation of medical information created, maintained and transmitted by and between healthcare providers and organizations of all types, is increasing. Healthcare Cyber Insurance…
EHR Patient Portal – Get the most out of yours!
For most practices implementing an EHR Patient Portal is a new experience. The Meaningful Use Attestation guidelines are putting more and more emphasis in utilizing an EHR Patient Portal in…
OIG 2016 Work Plan – EHR Technology
The OIG 2016 Work Plan, published a few weeks ago, announced reviews of incentive payments for adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR), and plans to conduct security audits of certified…
2016 OIG Work Plan, here’s another reason to pay attention
If you’ve read my recent post, 2016 OIG Work Plan-Nursing Homes, you know that the OIG has introduced a new project that seeks to examine the SNF prospective payment…
OIG 2016 Work Plan – Impact on Hospitals
The OIG 2016 Work Plan was released earlier last month, and hospitals again lead the pack in terms of OIG auditing projects. In fact, this year there are 25 OIG…
2016 OIG Work Plan-Nursing Homes
The 2016 OIG Work Plan was released on November 2, 2015. The 2016 version weighs in at a slimmer 80 pages versus its more hefty 2015 sibling which was 90…
OIG Work Plan 2016 – Impact on Physician Providers
The OIG Work Plan 2016 has been issued as of November 2, 2015, in accordance with the usual schedule for these OIG Work Plans. We strongly encourage all physician providers…
The OIG Work Plan 2016 – An Introduction
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…