The job interview process is a breeding ground for discrimination complaints. One common mistake: asking job applicants inappropriate questions about their nationality, marital status, religion, disabilities and other characteristics that discrimination laws ban you from considering when making hiring decisions. Applicants on the receiving end of such questions are apt to … [Read more...] about Job interviews: how to ask personal questions without committing discrimination
Federal
In California office, the training starts on day 1 and never ends
No manager can set expectations without giving staff the tools to achieve them, says a California administrator. And the main tool for it all is never ending training. At Santa Barbara Cardiovascular Medical Group, Patricia Board starts the training on the first day a staffer comes in. She gives the newcomer a check-off list of both job and office basics and spends several … [Read more...] about In California office, the training starts on day 1 and never ends
This 2 step program makes it easy to collect more money at the time of service
Ask any office "how well do you collect at the time of service?" and the answer will be "outstanding!" But almost no offices can define outstanding, says Reed Tinsley, CPA, a medical practice business advisor in Houston. Here's the definition: at the time of service, the office should be getting some type of payment from 90% of the patients who can pay anything, even $1. "It … [Read more...] about This 2 step program makes it easy to collect more money at the time of service
HIPAA security can fail if the office doesn’t take common-sense precautions
No matter how tight its HIPAA privacy procedures, if the office isn't also focusing on common sense, the patient data is wide open to compromise. "That's because we do things we don't think about," says Rosemarie Nelson, a principle with MGMA practice management consulting in Syracuse, NY. "It's not hackers trying to get at the office's data" that the manager needs to worry … [Read more...] about HIPAA security can fail if the office doesn’t take common-sense precautions
What every medical office manager needs to know about the Sunshine Law
Another product of the Affordable Care Act, the Sunshine Law (also called Open Payments) begins implementation this year. The law requires manufacturers and group purchasing organizations publicly report certain transfers to or transactions with physicians. The goal is transparency and avoiding improper influence of physician's prescribing practices. Physicians should make sure … [Read more...] about What every medical office manager needs to know about the Sunshine Law
HIPAA extends to gossip as well as to searching out dirt on an ex-spouse
Getting staff to maintain patient confidentiality goes much further than getting them to protect electronic data. A significant risk for offices is just plain talk. A staffer tells a friend about a patient's condition. Or there could be actual malice where a staffer looks up information on an ex-spouse. Or there could be innocent talk where a staffer in one office tells a … [Read more...] about HIPAA extends to gossip as well as to searching out dirt on an ex-spouse
The patient privacy epidemic and what can be done about it
By Mark Hughes In most medical office or hospital reception areas, speech privacy is virtually nonexistent. Because these spaces rarely have walls or partitions to block sound, patients often overhear conversations between office personnel and other patients. Lack of speech privacy is by no means confined to reception areas and pharmacy lines – the problem is also present … [Read more...] about The patient privacy epidemic and what can be done about it
It’s not me, it’s you: 5 office policies to break up with
By Paul Edwards bio Springtime may mean that love is in the air, but your office can't hesitate to dump a policy that creates problems. Some policies are so blatantly unenforceable, they shouldn't even have gotten past the first date! If any of these are in your employee handbook, it's time to say, "Let's not even be friends anymore." #1: "Employee salaries are … [Read more...] about It’s not me, it’s you: 5 office policies to break up with
Avoid these tricky ADA pitfalls when hiring staff
Every manager is aware of the wider doorways and lever handles and curb cuts and so on required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). And every manager is aware of providing accommodations for employees. But not every manager is aware of the less obvious ADA requirements that apply to electronic job applications, says Beth Loy, PhD, principal consultant with the Job … [Read more...] about Avoid these tricky ADA pitfalls when hiring staff
Six HIPAA violations you may be missing
Is your practice HIPAA compliant? Are you sure? Most health-care providers take very seriously this federal mandate to protect patient privacy—at least in theory. In practice, however, lots of things get missed. "When HIPAA was new and everyone was going to lectures and conferences and getting training, everyone was on top of it," says Erika Adler, an attorney specializing in … [Read more...] about Six HIPAA violations you may be missing