HIPAA Compliance

September 23, 2013 is the date that medical practices and other covered entities must update their Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) to patients in order to be compliant with the HIPAA Omnibus rule enacted in March 2013. The new NPP should be posted in each office, on the website if one exists, and should be available as a handout for any patient requesting it. The...

Under the final Omnibus Rule that will start being enforced on September 23, 2013 things have changed. The department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is going to start enforcing the final Omnibus Rules. The fines have increased for those practices that are not following the new regulations. The OCR will determine whether a medical practice is complying with the...

Many practice managers and medical providers do not like to hear the work “outsource” when it comes to their medical billing. One of the main concerns with outsourcing is about losing control and having to let practice staff go. However, many medical practices find themselves overwhelmed with their day to day operations and experience issues with their billing and patient collections. In cases where the...

At $1.2M, HIPAA photocopy breach proves costly   HITECH notification rule leads to settlement after CBS News story   The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has settled with Affinity Health Plan, a New York-based managed care plan, for HIPAA violations to the tune of $1,215,780 after a photocopier containing patient information was compromised.   Affinity filed a breach report with the HHS Office for Civil Rights on April...

The changes to the Omnibus Rules that are going into effect on Sept 23 2013 require that all medical practices must update their Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) by Sept 23 2013.   According to our friends at the American Medical Billing Association (AMBA) there are 5 significant changes that need attention:   1) You must update information on your use and disclosure of PHI that requires authorization:   a. Most...

It is not uncommon for providers to use electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets to conduct their day to day functions within a healthcare facility or practice. Covered entities must ensure that The Health Care Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security rules are put in place when using mobile devices. At the same time, HIPAA does not provide any requirements...