To avoid the risks of employment law claims, an office needs three layers of protection, advises employment law attorney Peter T. Mavrick of Ft. Lauderdale, FL. One is a handbook, one is a procedure for progressive discipline, and the third is candid reviews. With those three elements in place, the office is safe from just about any type of EEOC claims. Here’s what each … [Read more...] about Three layers of protection: a handbook, candid reviews, and progressive discipline
Federal
Is your practice eligible for Medicaid incentive payments?
Certain professionals can alternatively pursue meaningful use incentive payments from the Medicaid program, which is run by the state Medicaid agencies. Eligible professionals for Medicaid include doctors of medicine and osteopathy, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, dentists, and physician assistants in a federally qualified health center or rural health clinic led … [Read more...] about Is your practice eligible for Medicaid incentive payments?
Beware these 2 deadly employment law traps
Beware. The government has stepped up its efforts to protect employee rights. Two areas of particular interest to medical offices are disability discrimination and retaliation against protected activities such as discussing wages and work conditions. The agencies involved are the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Americans with Disabilities Act) and the National Labor … [Read more...] about Beware these 2 deadly employment law traps
CQM reporting and HIPAA
One reader questioned whether reporting CQMs using the Physician Quality Reporting System and reporting patient level data in the Quality Reporting Data Architecture (QRDA) format would require sending protected health information to CMS in violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The QRDA format does require some identifying information. However, Paula Stannard, a health care … [Read more...] about CQM reporting and HIPAA
‘Meaningful use’ can safeguard big money for your practice
Have you been participating in Medicare's or Medicaid's electronic health records incentive program? If not, you are leaving money on the table—or in the government's bank. Incentive payments still available could total up to $24,000. But that's not all you're missing by not achieving meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHR) technology (CEHRT). "Starting in … [Read more...] about ‘Meaningful use’ can safeguard big money for your practice
What you need to know about medical marijuana
With medical marijuana now legal in 20 states and Washington, D.C., and legislation pending in 13 other states*, medicinal use of cannabis has very much become a national issue – and of course it's an issue with numerous implications for medical practices and the people who manage them. Richard F. Comenzo is a Massachusetts attorney specializing in medical marijuana laws. His … [Read more...] about What you need to know about medical marijuana
Avoid these 5 common but costly wage and hour violations
What is the most significant – and also uninsured – risk every employer lives with? Wage and hour litigation. That's the one employment law area that EPLI, employment practices liability insurance, will not cover, says attorney Joseph M. Sokolowski, who heads the wage and hour practice group of Fredrikson & Byron in Minneapolis. Most EPLI policies specifically exclude … [Read more...] about Avoid these 5 common but costly wage and hour violations
How the new OIG 2014 Work Plan affects your medical office
The OIG, Office of Inspector General, oversees Medicare and Medicaid enforcement and highlights areas of focus in its enforcement efforts in a Work Plan. The 2014 Work Plan was released at the end of January and contains some items of note for medical practices. Some items are new and others have been on the OIG Work Plan in prior years and are a continuing project. The … [Read more...] about How the new OIG 2014 Work Plan affects your medical office
Can you and should you use Facebook to screen job applicants?
"We don't think employers should be asking prospective employees to provide their Facebook passwords (for pre-hiring background checking) because we don't think it's the right thing to do." -- Facebook (statement on company's website) Facebook's statement has set off a firestorm of controversy and misinformation. The popular consensus seems to be that the employer's practice … [Read more...] about Can you and should you use Facebook to screen job applicants?
How the Affordable Care Act affects your medical office policies and practices
You’ve heard a lot of talk about Obamacare, officially known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). There are a lot of changes for healthcare delivery that affect medical offices. But are you up to date on how ACA affects your office as an employer? The ACA imposes new obligations on employers. Some of these are already in effect and are continuing obligations you should be … [Read more...] about How the Affordable Care Act affects your medical office policies and practices