Q: Is a covered entity permitted to disclose PHI for litigation purposes? For example, if a covered entity is being sued for malpractice, can it present information that would qualify as PHI during the trial? If so, what are the limits on the type of information it can disclose?
Q: At times, case managers with nursing backgrounds are being asked to fill in and assume patient care roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. What should case managers do if they do not feel comfortable they can succeed in the roles they've been assigned?
Q: Which ICD-10-CM codes would we use to report an emergency department (ED) encounter for a patient presumed to have COVID-19 who does not undergo diagnostic testing?
Q: We need to train a wide range of employees on HIPAA — from physicians to temporary nursing staff hired through a staffing agency to medical scribes and coders. Should we utilize the same HIPAA training methods across the board? Or do you recommend that we develop different training methods for each department? How should we go about doing that?
Q: There have been frequent waivers and regulatory changes throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency. What are the most important changes that case managers need to be aware of?
Q: HRSA says that COVID-19 diagnoses must be in the primary/principal diagnosis field for hospitals to be reimbursed for treatment of uninsured patients, but this violates the coding guidance we’ve received from CMS and Coding Clinic. How should we handle such claims?
