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...
Most medical practices, healthcare organizations, and clinicians are very familiar with HIPAA rules and regulation. However, the law can be extensively complicated and is often a source of confusion and misinterpretation. According to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), one of the most common complaints and frequently misunderstood parts of the law involves a patient’s...
Cyber criminals and hackers are targeting the healthcare industry at staggering rates, and huge profits are being made on the black market from patient’s PHI (personal healthcare information). PHI is said to be ten times more valuable than credit card information because it contains highly sensitive data such as social security numbers, birth dates, addresses,...
“Physician Engagement” has been an increasingly hot topic with a lot of buzz over the past couple of years. There have been studies, articles, seminars, websites, and entire companies based on the subject matter. Now as healthcare transitions from a fee-for-service model to value-based care, the industry is being forced to find ways to improve...
The transition to ICD-10 has come and gone and the final metrics were posted by CMS last month. Thus far, the shift has been seemingly smoother than most had expected. Making many wonder what all the hype was about, while others remain skeptical. Healthcare experts are optimistically cautious about what is to come, saying it...
On March 21, 2016, The HHS Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced that the Phase 2 of HIPAA audits are now underway. The purpose of the audits is to assess the compliance of covered entities and business associates with HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules. OCR intends to use the information gained from audits...
According to the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA), financial losses due to healthcare fraud are in the tens of billions of dollars each year. In 2013, The US Department of Health and Human Services and The Department of Justice recovered more than 4.3 billion in healthcare fraud and abuse. As medical fraud rates continue...
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was established to set national standards for the confidentiality, security, and transmissibility of personal health information. Violations of this Act can result in substantial fines to a practice ranging from $100 to $1.5 million. Healthcare providers can also be at risk for sanctions or loss...
