Despite the change in administration, experts say The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) is here to stay and it’s full speed ahead. The MACRA law replaces the previous fee-for-service Medicare payment structure with a value-based pay-for-performance program built on measures of quality and efficiency. The legislation affects all healthcare providers that care for...
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...
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...
Patient engagement has been a rapidly emerging movement and buzzword in the healthcare industry this year. There have been countless articles, blogs, studies, and educational forums dedicated to the topic. It has been labeled as the “the blockbuster drug of the century”. Some say, “The future of healthcare is being shaped largely by the patient...
Infection Control Healthcare-associated infections are a major, preventable, threat to patient safety and one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Approximately, 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection. This adds up to $33 billion in excess medical costs every year. In efforts to increase infection control and...
Yes, the proper sterilization of medical devices, surgical instruments, supplies and equipment utilized in patient care and surgery is a critical aspect of health care that directly impacts patient safety. Hospitals and Ambulatory Centers are required to be in compliance with the Federal requirements outlined in the Medicare Conditions of Participation to receive Medicare/Medicaid payment....
OIG ISSUES FRAUD ALERT WARNING OF ANTI-KICKBACK LIABILITY FORCERTAIN PHYSICIAN COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS On June 9, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (OIG) posted a new Fraud Alert to its website(http://oig.hhs.gov/compliance/alerts/guidance/Fraud_Alert_Physician_Compensation_06092015.pdf) cautioning physicians who enter into compensation arrangements, such as medical directorships, that such arrangements may violate the federal Anti-kickback statute if steps are not taken to ensure...
On March 18, 2015, the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) issued a report offering guidance for employers on drafting their employee policy and procedure handbook. The following article, “NLRB’s General Counsel Issues Guidance On Employee Handbook Provisions,” written by Shima Walker with the McLane Law Firm, and published in Monaq Business...
Has your practice reported its breach? 45CFR 164.408 requires all covered entities (CE) and Business Associates (BA) to provide the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary with notice of breaches of unsecured protected health information. The number of affected individuals determines when the notification must be completed. Breaches of unsecured protected health information...
Has the minimum wage increased in your state? The National Conference of State Legislatures has issued a publication listing the individual states that have increased their minimum wages in 2014 and 2015. As of January 1, 2015, 29 states and D.C. will have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage. Four states – Alaska, Arkansas,...
