HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a federal law that protects the privacy of individuals' personal and medical information. HIPAA is important for medical offices because it sets standards for the protection and handling of this sensitive information, which is critical to maintaining the trust of patients and ensuring the confidentiality of … [Read more...] about 10 basic steps to comply with HIPAA
Federal
Patient right of access: Consequences are extreme if you get it wrong
By Suze Shaffer Patients’ right of access has extreme consequences if they are not handled properly. It starts the moment a patient makes this request. HIPAA prohibits unreasonable measures when patients are requesting access to their medical records. Most practices think this request must be in writing. Although this is ideal, sometimes it can cause a problem when the … [Read more...] about Patient right of access: Consequences are extreme if you get it wrong
Make someone responsible for HIPAA compliance and security
By Suze Shaffer Preventing data breaches and securing patient data is everyone’s responsibility, but the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) requires someone to be the point person. Make sure you have assigned a HIPAA Privacy Officer and a HIPAA Security Officer. Everyone in the practice needs to know who these people are by these titles. In a small practice it could be just one … [Read more...] about Make someone responsible for HIPAA compliance and security
18 ways your medical office can run afoul of laws and regulations
Running a medical office comes the responsibility for ensuring compliance with various laws and regulations. Failure to meet compliance requirements can lead to legal, financial, and reputational troubles. Here are some—but by no means all—the ways your medical office can run into compliance trouble: HIPAA Violations: Failure to protect patient health information and maintain … [Read more...] about 18 ways your medical office can run afoul of laws and regulations
Workplace political discussions: Strategies for handling what’s coming
By Lynne Curry Employees care deeply about abortion, gun control, immigration, the uptick in crime, climate change, and other issues that affect their freedom, wallets, and quality of life. As a result, even seemingly innocuous comments concerning news events can escalate into bitter, emotionally charged workplace arguments that alienate coworkers and customers, damage … [Read more...] about Workplace political discussions: Strategies for handling what’s coming
Telehealth policy to change after the COVID-19 public health emergency
The COVID-19 public health emergency has been extended to Oct. 13. Of particular interest to medical practices is the continuation of telehealth flexibilities, which will expire at the end of the public health emergency. US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra officially renewed the declaration in mid-August. The emergency declaration has been in … [Read more...] about Telehealth policy to change after the COVID-19 public health emergency
AMA renews call for gun violence prevention in wake of Tulsa shooting
The American Medical Association (AMA) has again called for prevention of gun violence, this time in response to the targeted killing of physicians on June 1 in Tulsa, Okla., one of the latest in a string of mass shootings across the country. “As we have said repeatedly since declaring gun violence a public health crisis in 2016, gun violence is out of control in the United … [Read more...] about AMA renews call for gun violence prevention in wake of Tulsa shooting
Is your medical office vulnerable to Russian cyberattacks?
The White House is urging businesses to review and improve cybersecurity because of a heightened risk of cyber attacks from Russia. A statement from the Biden-Harris Administration advises businesses to take the following steps: Mandate the use of multi-factor authentication on your systems to make it harder for attackers to get onto your system; Deploy modern security … [Read more...] about Is your medical office vulnerable to Russian cyberattacks?
Learn about changes and updates to telehealth
There's a lot you need to know about telehealth. That's why Medical Office Manager is offering a webinar, Telehealth—What Managers Need to Know, on April 6. It's free to Medical Office Manager members. Presenter Jen Bell of Karen Zupko and Associates will give you the tools and knowledge you need to comply with new telehealth regulations. Meanwhile here is Jen's update on … [Read more...] about Learn about changes and updates to telehealth
High at work: Anyone else smell that?
By Paul Edwards More often than you would think, we get calls from managers wondering what they can do about someone whom they think is impaired at work. When that happens, we immediately go into crisis control mode because, well, impairment at work is never acceptable. In this article, we are going to discuss impairment and odors from the perspective of marijuana … [Read more...] about High at work: Anyone else smell that?