Medical Office Manager

Compliance

How to manage maternity or leaves of absence

Employee leaves of absence for maternity or medical reasons can be tricky to navigate and can place heavy staffing and workload burdens on small and mid-sized practices, says Chris Lessard, an HR advisor with CEDR HR Solutions. Lessard, a California-based attorney, says practices can face potential discrimination claims for violating leave-of-absence laws, along with … [Read more...] about How to manage maternity or leaves of absence

Immigration, salary threshold, LGBTQ discrimination, emojis and more

By Mike O'Brien  bio Immigration alert—more Social Security "no-match" letters to issue this fall: The Social Security Administration (SSA) just announced its plan to mail a second set of "no-match letters" to employers this fall. These notices request employers to reconcile wage reports and credit employees' earnings to their Social Security records, stating there is … [Read more...] about Immigration, salary threshold, LGBTQ discrimination, emojis and more

Massachusetts practice busted for taking free POCT cups from Millennium

Case: A northern Massachusetts medical practice and Detroit pain clinic became the latest downstream providers to pay the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) a five-figure fine to settle kickback claims in the form of accepting free point of care test cups from now defunct Millennium Laboratories. The settlement amounts: $87,650 and $44,900, respectively, are consistent with … [Read more...] about Massachusetts practice busted for taking free POCT cups from Millennium

5 essential steps to ensure an effective HIPAA program

By Danika Brinda  bio HIPAA Compliance is a term that is often thrown around the healthcare industry; however, I commonly ask myself: Is the meaning of HIPAA Compliance the same throughout the industry? The answer is NO! Walking into a healthcare organization in the last month, the HIPAA Privacy Officer was excited to tell me that they are fully HIPAA compliant and … [Read more...] about 5 essential steps to ensure an effective HIPAA program

New EPA laws ban flushing of opioids & other hazardous pharmaceuticals

On Aug. 21, a new federal rule took effect banning physican offices and other healthcare facilities from flushing hazardous waste pharmaceuticals into the sewer system. If you haven't already done so, you'll need to establish protocols and procedures to ensure compliance and avoid stiff penalties. The new anti-flushing law The new rule is part of an existing piece of federal … [Read more...] about New EPA laws ban flushing of opioids & other hazardous pharmaceuticals

Doctors pay $1.1 million to settle genetic test kickback claims

Kickbacks for genetic test referrals has become a focus of recent federal enforcement action. The most recent case involves three doctors and a cardiology practice that allegedly accepted bribes from a now-bankrupt genetic testing company in the Seattle area. The DOJ claims that Natural Molecular Testing Corporation (NMT) paid doctors as much as $10,000 per month in consulting … [Read more...] about Doctors pay $1.1 million to settle genetic test kickback claims

The ABCs of Provider Compliance: A necessity in today’s healthcare climate

The word "compliance" constitutes one of the most under-estimated forces of change in healthcare today. Kathleen Hessler, RN, JD, CHC, CHPC, Director of Compliance & Risk, Simione Healthcare Consultants, says, "It may be a buzz word in many organizations, but compliance typically means different things to the board of directors or executive team than it does to the managers … [Read more...] about The ABCs of Provider Compliance: A necessity in today’s healthcare climate

Are you “aggressive” or “assertive”? Take this quick self-evaluation and find out

To manage people, a manager has to be assertive. But be aware that there's a strong difference between being assertive and being aggressive, says Judy Belmont, MMF, LPC, a psychotherapist and workplace wellness trainer in Philadelphia. The assertive manager sets limits and enforces standards. Every manager has to do that. If the rules aren't enforced, or if there are no … [Read more...] about Are you “aggressive” or “assertive”? Take this quick self-evaluation and find out

What you need to consider before getting started in telemedicine

By Nick Hernandez  bio Many practices are hearing about telemedicine and becoming increasingly interested in how such a program could be implemented in their operations. Physicians want to start a telemedicine program quickly. Practice managers don't want to learn by trial and error. The biggest issue I see by far is that practices immediately focus on the technology. … [Read more...] about What you need to consider before getting started in telemedicine