If you need to copy some medical records that include PHI, you're probably on point when taking steps to ensure privacy. You make sure no one's around. You grab the documents right from the copier when you're done, you don't forget the originals, and you take the records where they need to go. No one sees them. No HIPAA violations here.
Q: When you refer to a laptop being encrypted for security reasons, is that the same as password protected? We have a number of employees with laptops who transport them from work to home and are concerned about a breach if a laptop is stolen.
CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) released final rules October 6 with the intention of simplifying EHR requirements and allowing providers and consumers to exchange health information with greater flexibility. This includes the final rule with comment period for the EHR incentive programs and final rule for the 2015 edition health IT certification criteria.
Regulations adopted in October 2013 allow hospitals to bill Part B for inpatient cases that are internally reviewed and "self-denied" within one year of the date of service. But utilization review staff are unsure when to use the old condition code 44 process and when to opt for the new process using condition code W2. Operationalizing these rules can prove to be challenging, causing recoding, rebilling, and expensive slowdowns in the revenue cycle.
Physicians are constantly reminded that healthcare is undergoing significant change. October 2015 marked one more landmark change: the shift to ICD-10. Many physicians have worried about the transition and likely dreaded the loss of familiar terms, efficiency, or income. How can coders, HIM professionals, or clinical documentation improvement (CDI) specialists engage with physicians to help them now that ICD-10 has been implemented? Let's explore some strategies.
