Due to the challenges of implementing Meaningful Use, it is unsurprising the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) is finally rethinking the plan. The goal of Meaningful Use (MU)…
HIPAA Privacy Rule Changes Address Gun Control
On January 4, 2016, the Obama administration rolled out a number of executive actions addressing gun control, one of which impacts the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). To…
Individual’s Rights to Access PHI
An individual’s right to access their protected health information (PHI) should be nothing new to covered entities. In 1996, HIPAA Privacy Rule detailed an individual’s right to access PHI. As…
Jumpstart Your Compliance Program
The beginning of the New Year is a popular time for new initiatives. Many healthcare organizations are looking for ways to improve quality and reduce risk. A compliance program is…
Is Your Compliance Program Effective?
Having a compliance program in place is a start but having an effective compliance program is the goal. Proactively assessing the effectiveness of one’s own compliance program is better than…
Deadline for Breach Reporting Coming Soon
As the end of the year approaches, keep in mind that all breaches of unsecured protected health information involving less than 500 individuals must be reported to the Secretary at…
Beware of Individual Liability: Yates Memo
On September 9, 2015, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates released a policy memorandum, titled “Individual Accountability for Corporate Wrongdoing,” also known as the “Yates Memo.”…
OIG WORKPLAN 2016
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is responsible for protecting the integrity of the programs in Health and Human Services against fraud, waste and abuse as well as recommending…
Overview of a Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA)
Health care fraud recoveries for fiscal years 2009- 2014 exceeded previous records with five straight years of more than $2 billion in annual recovery from cases involving fraud and false…
Are You Prepared for the HIPAA Phase 2 Audits?
After reviewing the HIPAA Privacy case investigations from 2009-2011, the Office of the Inspector General sent a strong message to the Office of Civil Rights in regard to the administration…