Five Facts to Know about the Final MACRA Rule The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) has been finalized and will affect all providers that care for at least 100 Medicare patients or bill more than $30,000 a year. CMS made some critical revisions to the previous bill which includes a more flexible start...
What is a Business Associate? Business associates are considered any third-party contractor that performs work or activities on behalf of a healthcare organization or covered entity that involve the use or disclosure of protected health information (1). A few examples may include: What are Business Associate Agreements? HIPAA and HITECH require practices to sign a...
Back in June, the victims of the horrific Orlando shooting at Pulse Nightclub were also victims of a privacy breach when their personal health information was accessed without authorization by a few curious employees at Orlando Health Hospital. The hospital confirmed that employees have previously received HIPAA training on patient privacy. However, they are now...
Who does the rule apply to? Section 1557 is the non-discrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that protects individuals from discrimination in health care based on race, color, national origin, age, disability, and sex; including discrimination based on pregnancy, gender identity and sex stereotyping. The rule also protects individuals with disabilities and limited...
The failure to properly train employees on hazardous chemicals such as formaldehyde is the second most frequently cited violation in healthcare facilities across the US. In fact, fines as much as $112,000 have been issued by The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to healthcare facilities for the failure to provide employees with the proper...
The Stark Law can be a source of confusion for a lot of medical practices and rightfully so. It was enacted in 1989, but has since been expanded upon and revised several times, with additional phases added much later. In its simplest form, the Stark Law prohibits a physician from making referrals for certain healthcare...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) just issued new penalty adjustments that will go into effect this month, based on recent legislation that requires federal agencies to adjust their civil penalties to account for inflation. It has been more than 25 years since OSHA last adjusted their maximum penalties, therefor an increase of 78%...
What is MACRA? The “Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015” or “MACRA,” was signed into law on April 16, 2015. The legislation replaces the current Medicare reimbursement schedule which is based on a fee-for-service model with a new pay-for-performance program that is focused on quality, value, and accountability. According to The Centers for...
In 2015, Ransomware cost the US Healthcare industry nearly 6 billion dollars. Even more concerning is that there has been a 300% increase in ransomware attacks in 2016, according to a recent report from the U.S. Government. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts data making it inaccessible to authorized users. After the...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has five guidelines and standards to help prevent injuries, reduce health risks, and protect both patients and employees. Below are some of the most frequently found hazards and standards for medical and dental offices: The information above includes some of the most frequently found hazards and standards in...
