Q. If an organization’s human resources officer is also the plan administrator for the organization’s group health plan (self-insured), does that individual have the right under HIPAA to access records of high-dollar pharmacy/medical claims for the purpose of targeting the insured for wellness programs or other alternative treatment plans?
It was a gorgeous afternoon and a perfect day to hold an outdoor summer barbecue for the HIM department at Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, Alaska.
Chasing down information on incomplete records can be overwhelming and a lost cause. What do you do when a medical record is incomplete 30 days after discharge (or 14 in California’s case) and thus does not meet regulatory standards?
Editor's note: Medical Records Briefing (MRB) catches up this month with Monica Pappas, RHIA, president of MPA Consulting in Long Beach, Calif., and an MRB advisory board member, to discuss physician queries.
Editor's note: The commentary in this article was originally presented in the HCPro, Inc., February 7 audio conference, "The Pediatric Medical Record: Opportunities for Documentation Improvement." Learn more about the audio conference at http://tinyurl.com/bbh9yl5.
At the Association of Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialists (ACDIS), questions on physician queries are never few and far between. Although AHIMA has published a couple briefs on the topic over the last decade, questions have still remained about how to implement a compliant and effective query process.
HIM directors must revisit and potentially refine processes for patient record restriction requests and requests for electronic copies of medical records because of the HHS HIPAA omnibus final rule.
