February 1, 2017
HIM Briefings

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released guidance on patient access fees with little fanfare last year but the guidance, intended to clarify existing OCR regulations, became a flashpoint for controversy. The guidance states that organizations may charge a patient either a flat fee of $6.50 or follow a specific methodology for calculating the cost of making a copy of requested patient records. Although some organizations found their fee schedules out of step with OCR’s guidance, the biggest problem came from an unexpected corner: attorneys.

February 8, 2017
HIM Briefings

Pneumonia discharges impact hospital payments under the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program as well as the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program. The selection of a principal diagnosis, secondary diagnosis, present on admission (POA) status, and discharge status on each claim determines whether a pneumonia discharge will be included in the measure.

February 15, 2017
HIM Briefings

CMS continues to move Medicare payments from volume to value with new bundled payment models.

February 22, 2017
HIM Briefings

Probably the most onerous duty physicians have is the preparation of the inpatient discharge summary, especially after a long or complicated hospital stay.