On November 29, during the International Conference on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein delivered a speech announcing changes to the Department of Justice (DOJ) 2015 policy memorandum titled “Individual Accountability for Corporate Wrongdoing.” This policy issued by then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, commonly known as the Yates Memo, focuses on
HIPAA provides patients with fundamental rights to access, inspect, and obtain a copy of their health information for as long as the information is maintained by the healthcare provider regardless of the date created, format of the PHI or where the PHI originated. In responding to these requests, providers should be aware of the requirements under the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
Establishing and maintaining a well-designed compliance program is key to preventing, detecting, and mitigating noncompliance. The seven elements of an effective compliance program outlined in the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, adopted by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), sets the framework but there are additional requirements that need to be integrated into the compliance program in
The Department of Justice (DOJ), with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and several other law enforcement agencies, recently announced the results of its national health care fraud takedown. As the government continues to prioritize its efforts on combating health care fraud, it is prudent for
Employees that abuse drugs in the workplace cause major disruptions due to their lack of productivity, poor performance, potential for work place injuries and their negative impact on other employees. In developing and enforcing an effective drug testing policy, compliance with applicable federal and state laws should be a high priority to avoid unnecessary legal
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has been scrutinizing the policies of healthcare providers recently. As the federal agency responsible for enforcing federal employment discrimination laws, healthcare providers with outdated policies and/or practices may find themselves in hot water. Here are the some of the most recent cases the EEOC has initiated: EEOC v.
Early this month Uber introduced the launch of Uber Health, a new service that allows healthcare organizations to provide transportation for their patients. Within days, Lyft and Allscripts announced a partnership to allow healthcare providers to schedule patient rides using Allscript’s electronic health record network. The move into Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) services is an
This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a $100,000 settlement with Filefax, Inc., an out of business company that once provided medical records storage and disposal services. Based on an anonymous complaint, OCR’s investigation uncovered HIPAA Privacy Rule violations due to the company’s failure to
This past September, First Healthcare Compliance released our certificate program to teach the essential principles and practices of compliance— The Fundamentals. This one of a kind program gives healthcare professionals the knowledge they need to meet compliance challenges in the heavily regulated healthcare industry. When learners successfully complete our four-hour course, they earn a
Sheba Vine, JD, CPCO, talks about Qualifying Events that Trigger COBRA Benefits. COBRA is a federal law and is short for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. COBRA applies to employers with 20 or more employees that offer group health plans. COBRA provides the right to continue coverage in an employer
