BSW is once again proud to sponsor the Physicians Legal Issues Conference to be held June 8-9, 2017 at The Intercontinental in Chicago, IL. The Physicians Legal Issues Conference is co-sponsored by the American Bar Association Health Law Section, Chicago Medical Society and the American Association for Physician Leadership®. Continue reading
Category Archives: Health Information
Recent $400K HIPAA Settlement with FQHC Highlights Importance of HIPAA Security Management Process
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), recently entered a $400,000 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) settlement with Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN), a federally-qualified health center (FQHC). The settlement serves as a stark reminder that all covered entities, including FQHCs, must meet the HIPAA Security Rule requirements and that OCR is continuing to step up enforcement efforts in this area. Continue reading
First Ever HIPAA Enforcement Action for Delay in Breach Reporting
A delay in timely breach notification may now cost you. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently entered a settlement with Presence Health for untimely reporting a breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI). Presence discovered that its operating room schedules containing PHI for 836 individuals were missing on October 22, 2013. Under the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, breaches like this which involve >500 individuals are required to be reported to the individuals, prominent media outlets and OCR without unreasonable delay and in no case later than 60 days. Presence did not report the breach to OCR until January 31, 2014, approximately 100 days after discovering the breach. OCR’s investigation concluded that Presence failed to notify, without unreasonable delay and within 60 days of discovering the breach, each of the 836 individuals, the media and OCR. Presence agreed to pay $475,000 to settle the potential violations.
The Press Release and Resolution Agreement are available on the OCR website.
Written by: Jacob Simpson
CMS Releases Final Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) posted the final approved version of the Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (“MOON”) on the CMS Beneficiary Notices Initiative website on December 8, 2016.[1] According to CMS, all hospitals and critical access hospitals (“CAHs”) are required to provide the MOON beginning no later than March 8, 2017. Continue reading
Clay Countryman and Alec Alexander to speak at MGMA-New Orleans Chapter Workshop
Clay J. Countryman and Alec Alexander will be speaking at a workshop hosted by the Medical Group Management Association’s New Orleans chapter on September 28, 2016. Mr. Countryman will present “HIPAA Phase 2 Audits: Are you ready?” and Mr. Alexander will present “Fraud and Abuse: Compliance for Physician Practices and Recent Hot Topics. The workshop will be located at the East Jefferson General Hospital Conference Center – Esplanade I in Metairie, Louisiana. For more information or to register, click here.
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