Q: Like other hospitals, we have had many patients transported via ambulance with COVID-19 symptoms. Once these patients are tested for the virus, are we permitted under HIPAA to disclose their test results to the first responders who treated them and brought them to the hospital?
Q: Case managers are often being called to fill other roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. How can case managers contribute if they lack the skills or the recent experience necessary to succeed as bedside nurses?
CMS updated its Medicare billing FAQs to include new questions related to National Coverage Determinations (NCD) during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency (PHE).
The state of Kentucky disclosed recently that a healthcare portal used by state employees was hacked and the protected health information of nearly 1,000 members of the Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan (KEHP) was exposed.
CMS recently released the fiscal year (FY) 2021 ICD-10-PCS code set, which includes 544 new codes for Fragmentations of the veins and arteries, Drainages of the pelvic cavity, and Imaging of various organs. It also released the FY 2021 ICD-10-PCS Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.
Q: How should we report positive COVID-19 cases in ICD-10-CM without respiratory manifestations or any signs or symptoms and no prior suspected exposure?
Q: When dealing with a public health emergency, which disclosures are permitted to the media and which are not? Does HIPAA allow for any identifiable information to be disclosed to news organizations if the intention is to protect the public at large?
Q: Hospital case managers must constantly adapt to the conditions created by COVID-19 to best serve their patients. How can they create new ways of meeting patient and family needs during this pandemic?
