The majority of breached patient records in January were due to hacking and insider-related incidents, according to a report by Protenus, which analyzed the 37 health data breaches reported to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in January. The hacking incident which had the biggest impact occurred at Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, where an unauthorized third party gained access to the computer network, and thus access to Medicaid patient billing information.
Efficient, correct, and compliant release of information (ROI) processes are necessary to support patient care, legal processes, reimbursement, and patients’ rights. Give ROI staff and leaders a shot of energy with targeted training that adapts to their needs. Succinct modules, interaction, and a positive attitude can have a ripple effect on the department.
In the 2018 OPPS final rule, CMS finalized a change to the current clinical laboratory date of service policies for outpatient molecular pathology tests and advanced diagnostic laboratory tests.
Q: Does a hospital need to obtain the patient's written consent before obtaining physician office notes? Can I contact the physician office and request the needed information without obtaining a written consent from the patient? The office notes are needed for payment purposes.
In advance of ICD-10-CM/PCS, many institutions implemented computer-assisted coding (CAC) hoping to mitigate the anticipated productivity losses, but research has confirmed suspicions that there is an inverse relationship between coding productivity and accuracy.
