It's a brave new world out there for business associates (BA). BAs needed to comply with the HIPAA Security Rule and the use and disclosure provisions of the Privacy Rule in February 2010 as a result of the HITECH Act. However, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) held off on any enforcement activities-that is, until recently.
Eligible professionals (EP), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAH) that cannot demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs could soon face Medicare payment adjustments. But CMS has an important message for providers: There's still time to prove meaningful use and avoid adjustments.
There is some common ground in the corrective action plans (CAP) that OCR has imposed on healthcare organizations it has investigated for HIPAA privacy and security deficiencies.
HIM directors are responsible for the integrity of patients' records-even when a hospital shuts down certain wings of the facility or closes its doors entirely.
Despite its apparently straightforward definition in the CPT® Manual, modifier -59 (distinct procedural service) can be deceptively difficult to append properly.
CMS added modifier -AO (provider declined alt payment method) and new HCPCS codes to the I/OCE as part of the October 2013 quarterly update found in Transmittal 2763.
