January 24, 2013
On January 17, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) posted Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification Rules [PDF] (the Final Rule) under the authority of the HITECH Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), as well as under the general authority of HHS. The Final Rule, scheduled (...) [Read More]
July 26, 2012
Joshua Freemire was recently interviewed by BNA with regard to the Meaningful Use Audits. The resulting article is here: http://www.bna.com/meaningful-participants-begin-n12884910824/
July 26, 2012
I spoke today with an editor at EHR Intelligence regarding the hospital and professional audits of Meaningful Use program compliance being conducted by Figloiozzi & Company. You can read the full interview here: http://ehrintelligence.com/2012/07/26/meaningful-use-audits-qa-with-oberkalers-joshua-freeman/
July 26, 2012
A number of health care providers that attested to Meaningful Use for Stage 1 have received a letter from an Figloiozzi and Company, acting as CMS’s auditor for the EHR Incentive Program (the “Program” or “Meaningful Use Program”), requesting certain records related to the attestation. CMS has not, as of this writing, made any announcement (...) [Read More]
July 26, 2012
A recent action by the Connecticut Medical Examining Board (a unit of that state’s Department of Public Health) should serve to remind covered entities and business associates that it is not only the federal government that can act to enforce HIPAA’s privacy requirements. In a consent order dated the 21st of March [PDF] but officially (...) [Read More]
July 24, 2012
In its first enforcement action against a state agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) settled last month with Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) for HIPAA security violations it reported as required by HITECH. DHSS entered into a settlement agreement and agreed to pay $1,700,000 (...) [Read More]
June 5, 2012
On March 24, 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent the much-anticipated rule implementing the HITECH Act changes to HIPAA (HITECH Rule) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This starts the clock running on the 90-day period allowed for OMB review. It is expected that, given the scope of the (...) [Read More]
March 29, 2012
Increased enforcement is a key message from the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Since the start of 2012, OCR has publicized settlements with three entities: two of which concerned civil rights violations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the most recent of which concerned violations of the (...) [Read More]
December 28, 2011
This article originally appeared in the December 28, 2011 issue of Bloomberg’s Health Law Report. Health care reform is a critical issue facing our nation, and a hot topic for the 2012 elections. Tough economic times leave many Americans unemployed and without health care insurance. At the same time, Congress struggles to balance a (...) [Read More]
Written By SarahSwank
Categories: ACO, EHR, eRx, Health Care Reform, HIPAA, HITECH, Meaningful Use, mHealth, Telemedicine
Tags: apps, care coordination, electronic prescribing, pay-for-performance, quality
December 8, 2011
In a press release dated November 30, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Program (also known as the “Meaningful Use” program) will be delayed for one year for providers who attest during 2011. Stage 2 compliance, for those providers, (...) [Read More]
