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
Federal
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
Avoid these 3 deadly employment law traps when hiring or firing
Three errors that cause wrongful terminations Though every employer knows - or should know - the rules for safe firing, mistakes still happen when it comes to showing an employee the door, says Peter Golden, a business and employment law attorney with The Golden Law Firm in Atlanta. In his own practice, he finds that in all types of businesses, manages most often fall down on … [Read more...] about Avoid these 3 deadly employment law traps when hiring or firing
Government issues NEW resources to help ensure safety of electronic health records
Continuing to encourage the use of electronic health records, on January 15, 2014, HHS issued new resources to help providers address Electronic Health Record safety. HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) issued the Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience (SAFER) Guides. These SAFER Guides are tools such as checklists and … [Read more...] about Government issues NEW resources to help ensure safety of electronic health records
HIPAA resources and guidance
Complying with HIPAA’s privacy and security requirements can be complex and overwhelming. But the Department of Health and Human Services does provide some helpful guidance. Here’s a list of resources we found that might help you understand what’s required and plan your security programs: 1. HHS Security Rule … [Read more...] about HIPAA resources and guidance
13 steps to prevent bloodborne infection and liability
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens: A 13 step compliance game plan Protecting employees from bloodborne infection isn’t just a medical imperative but a legal one under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules. In case you don’t have the time or inclination to read the entire OSHA regulation, here’s an explanation of what it requires and a 13-step game plan for … [Read more...] about 13 steps to prevent bloodborne infection and liability
Model Policy: Exposure control
Why you need this policy: Health care employees face risk of exposure to deadly bloodborne infections. How this policy helps you: This model policy will help you protect your employees for bloodborne infections and your medical office from liability for violations of federal OSHA rules. How to use this policy: Adapt this policy to your medical office. Insert names and other … [Read more...] about Model Policy: Exposure control
Model Tool: Exposure control plan checklist
Why you need this checklist: The following checklist lists the elements that must be covered in an Exposure Control Program or Policy under the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard. … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Exposure control plan checklist
Are your business associate agreements up to date with the latest HIPAA requirements?
The Omnibus Final rule implementing HITECH made some changes affecting Business Associate (BA) agreements. While Sept. 23 was the compliance deadline for most obligations under the Final Rule, some agreements enjoy a grace period and may not need to be updated until September 2014. But you should take the opportunity now to make sure you haven’t overlooked any issues concerning … [Read more...] about Are your business associate agreements up to date with the latest HIPAA requirements?