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.
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.
Medical City Hospital (MHC) in Dallas asked its core measurement teams for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), pneumonia, and heart failure to develop readmission reduction processes for each condition.
Organizations have had their chance to weigh in on the proposed accounting of disclosures rule, and some larger ones don't exactly see it working as written. Here is what some organizations had to say.
Q Our authorization form for release of information requires patients to sign separate lines to authorize release of sensitive information, such as sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, and genetic information. We understand that very few other covered entities do this. Is this a legal requirement? And if so, may we change our form to state that all information will be released unless the patient indicates otherwise?
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.
