Ask the Expert

Q: In a previous question, you said you can destroy paper records like charts as soon as they are scanned into the EMR if your state considers electronic storage media legally acceptable for medical records. My organization is currently rewriting our policy on shredding charts; is there any reference to this in HIPAA that we can use to back this up?

Q: I have heard of the Plan, Do, Check, Act process for quality management. Can you explain how this process works?

Q: How can I identify a suspended claim? Is there anything that can be done to move a suspended claim forward?

Q: Considering the fiscal year 2019 update to the ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting for Transfer procedures, how should we now report a pedicled transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap procedure in ICD-10-PCS?

Q: Does sharing the phone number of a physician who does not work in-house at a lab facility with a patient constitute a HIPAA violation?  

Q: What kinds of technology should case managers be using to help them on the job?

Q: Where can I find information on utilization review (UR) requirements for Medicare Advantage (MA)?

Q: What 2019 CPT updates were made to E/M codes for interprofessional telephone and internet consultations?

Q: A patient recently told me she was surprised to learn from another physician at our facility that her adult child had been prescribed a particular medication for high cholesterol. Her child is not a dependent adult under her care. Is it a HIPAA violation for a provider to discuss the care of non-dependent adult children with their parents?

In this month's director's desk, we answer your questions on post-discharge planning and HIPAA.