News

Around a dozen employees of the Washington Health System (WHS) in Washington County, Pennsylvania, have reportedly been suspended for HIPAA violations involving alleged inappropriate access to patient records, according to the Washington County Observer-Reporter.

Q: Is it a violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule to make a comment while working at a pharmacy that “we’ve seen a lot of flu cases”?

With new attention on the care continuum, many new roles are being created to both complement the comprehensive needs of patients and ensure that licensed individuals have the opportunity to work at the top of their license. As a result, many organizations are adding positions called navigators or health coaches to provide more support to the patient and family around the logistics of care.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) plans to address concerns regarding capitated payment models by putting preauthorization denials under review.

What do you think about “dotted line” relationships between the case management director and other departments and vice presidents?

How can revenue integrity professionals ensure drug units are properly represented in the charge description master?

In a continued effort to combat the opioid epidemic, CMS released a roadmap detailing its progress toward addressing the crisis as well as its plans for slowing opioid dependence. CMS noted that while the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics indicate the opioid epidemic is not slowing down, efforts aimed at combatting the epidemic must continue.

Q: I am confused about the difference between the laterality modifiers -LT (left side) and -RT (right side) and modifier -50 (bilateral procedure). Can you explain?

How can case managers and social workers assist patients in lowering medication costs?

What are the distinctions between hard and soft coding?