News

HHS is planning to reform HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2 in an effort to improve care coordination. In remarks to the Heritage Foundation July 26, HHS Secretary Alex Azar conveyed that HHS is starting a review of regulations that interfere with coordination among doctors, hospitals, and payers.

Q: Is texting an acceptable way to communicate with a patient? Do we need to ask the patient to sign a form with a statement to the effect that they prefer that we text information on test results, etc., rather than leave a voicemail asking them to call?

Hospitals have several options to consider when attempting to solve misplaced or missing service, product, and medication charges.

The most important aspect to remember about psychiatric patients in the ED is to help them and their families (if present) feel safe.

CMS did not propose any new comprehensive APCs (C-APC) last year, taking a rare year off, but it did introduced three new C-APCs in the 2019 OPPS proposed rule, released in late July.

What steps can case managers take to improve health literacy in patients?

What role should health information management play in the edit management process?

Q: How would you report an infusion service with no documented stop time?

Boys Town National Research Hospital, in Omaha, Nebraska, announced July 20 that it had discovered a data security incident that may have affected the personal health information of 105,309 individuals.

CMS’ 2019 OPPS proposed rule continues the agency’s efforts to enforce site-neutral payments and reduce drug payments by introducing policies to reduce reimbursement for hospital outpatient clinic visits at off-campus, provider-based departments (PBD) and expanding last year’s payment reductions for drugs purchased under the 340B discount pricing program by nonexcepted PBDs.