The Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP), also known as Grant 3026, is mandated by Section 3026 of the Patient Protection andAffordable Care Act and provides funding to test models for improving care transitions for high-risk Medicare beneficiaries.
September has always been synonymous with students returning to the classroom. While that may not be reason enough to review the HIPAA Privacy Rule, a more compelling reason to dust off the HIPAA education materials might be the government's increase in enforcement efforts.
When evaluating a family's ability, willingness, and availability to provide needed care to patients, discharge planners may become aware of scenarios that are not reasonable or safe for the patient.
The time for healthcare organizations to undertake a review of their operations is now-OCR anticipates that its long-awaited HIPAA compliance audit program will be under way this fall.
Don't let the new patient-centered communication standards catch you up short. These standards, which took effect January 2011 and begin affecting survey findings January 2012, cover not only the Rights of the Individual chapter, but the Provision of Care; Human Resources; and Record of Care, Treatment, and Services chapters as well.
CMS has proposed to rescind the requirement for signatures on all lab requisitions, according to the "Medicare Program; Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule: Signature on Requisition" proposed rule published in the Federal Register June 30. The 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, published last November, requires a physician's or nonphysician practitioner's (NPP) signature on lab requisitions for tests paid under the clinical lab fee schedule, regardless of whether there is a signed order. This is the opposite of prior CMS rulings that indicated signatures were not required on requisitions, although written and signed orders were required.
