Medical Office Manager

Technology

Government issues NEW resources to help ensure safety of electronic health records

Continuing to encourage the use of electronic health records, on January 15, 2014, HHS issued new resources to help providers address Electronic Health Record safety. HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued the Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guides. These SAFER Guides are tools such as checklists and … [Read more...] about Government issues NEW resources to help ensure safety of electronic health records

Why you need an employee social networking policy to help protect your practice

THIS STORY WILL HELP YOU … Prevent employee blogging, texting, emailing and other social networking abuse At least some of your employees are into blogging, tweeting, Facebook and other social networking. What employees do with their free time is their own business. Or is it? What about employees who social network during work time? And how about employees whose blogs, tweets … [Read more...] about Why you need an employee social networking policy to help protect your practice

The 3 keys to better HIPAA compliance: risk assessment, training, revised notice

Three HIPAA items need every manager’s immediate attention. They are: • Risk Analysis; • documentation of HIPAA training; and • a revised Notice of Privacy. HIPAA’s enforcer is the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and it’s taking the job seriously, says Nathan A. Kottkamp, a health care attorney with McGuireWoods in Richmond, VA. When the OCR comes to call, it will ask to see … [Read more...] about The 3 keys to better HIPAA compliance: risk assessment, training, revised notice

Don’t let the office get caught in Medicare’s pay cuts

e-scripting, EHRs, and value modifiers Medicare has been offering a lot of incentives for technology use and quality measures. But those same incentives have their dark side – payment cuts for noncompliance. Here are the three cuts to be dodging right now. And along with them is the unavoidable 2% cut brought about by sequestration. #1: the 2% cut on e-scripting Most imminent … [Read more...] about Don’t let the office get caught in Medicare’s pay cuts

HIPAA is now striking small offices; the first hit is on mobile devices

HIPAA, which has traditionally focused its attention on larger entities, is now closing in on smaller organizations and smaller violations. A hospice in Idaho has been fined $50,000 for a security breach of its electronic health information. This is the first time HIPAA has gone after a breach affecting fewer than 500 patients, and the government says the fine is “a strong … [Read more...] about HIPAA is now striking small offices; the first hit is on mobile devices

Keep safe from the Recovery Audit Contractors and the courts by making the corrections correctly

What flaws are the Recovery Audit Contractors searching for in records? Illegible documentation, incomplete documentation, unidentified providers, wrong dates of service – and evidence of improper corrections. To help offices stay safe, the government has set out guides for making corrections so the records pass muster with the RACs. Those same guides will also ensure the … [Read more...] about Keep safe from the Recovery Audit Contractors and the courts by making the corrections correctly