The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced its seventh HIPAA violation settlement of 2017, putting the agency well on its way to topping last year’s record-setting number of HIPAA settlements.
Case managers may not be physicians, but they are still integral to the quality of patient care. Regardless of whether a case manager’s role includes clinical or medical case management, utilization review, discharge planning, or a combination of these and more, if the case manager can advocate for the patient during the medical encounter, he or she can influence good clinical care, says Jackie Birmingham, RN, MS, clinical leadership at naviHealth: A Cardinal Health Company, headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, and author of Discharge Planning Guide: Tools for Compliance, Fourth Edition.
Overcoming barriers to care for LGBT individuals can require a culture shift at an organization, but it can be as simple as adding additional options to forms. It’s up to organizations to close the gap, and HIM plays a central role in identifying barriers, implementing change, and fostering a culturally competent environment.
This week’s Medicare updates include a MIPS Participation Status Letter, FY 2018 proposed rules for skilled nursing facilities and inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and more!
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) gave organizations and patients some relief from the stricter privacy rules protecting substance abuse and treatment information. But did SAMHSA really make the rule simpler, or will privacy and security officers find themselves grappling with a fresh set of complicated rules and exceptions?
