Health Information Management Newsletters

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Every issue of Health Information Compliance Insider is packed with ready-to-use information worth thousands of dollars to you and your organization, like advance warning from Washington on when to expect changes to and guidance on HIPAA regulations and compliance advice from leading health care lawyers.

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Health Information Compliance Insider

Issue 4, April 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Twelve quick tips for HIPAA security rule compliance

  As of mid-February, only 18% of providers were compliant with the HIPAA security rule, according to...

• When to use and disclose PHI to law enforcement

  Someone breaks into your office and steals computer equipment that contains patients' PHI. During...

Issue 12, December 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Combat BA violations by promoting open communication in agreements

  Business associates (BA) create a lot of risk for organizations. They’re not covered entities...

• Shut the door on incidental disclosures

  HIPAA does not require organizations to track incidental disclosures and include them in...

• Consider residents’ safety, dignity when developing privacy compliance efforts

  When it comes to long-term care, the rules for HIPAA compliance can be even more complicated than...

• Make sure staff understand how to respond to press inquiries

  Many hospitals routinely receive phone calls from the press inquiring about a patient’s...

Issue 11, November 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Consult law, best judgment with pediatric privacy

  Just because adolescent patients aren't necessarily responsible for making their own healthcare...

• Avoid the dangers of employee access to records

  An employee at your organization is stressed out. A bad day, plus the fact that he is waiting for...

• Educate physicians about HIPAA

  Physicians are privy to more confidential health information than perhaps anyone else in an...

Issue 10, October 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Expect OCR to remain focused on voluntary compliance

  More than half of the providers in the United States experienced at least one privacy breach...

• Know the facts about HIPAA and interacting with pharmaceutical sales representat

  By now, most pharmaceutical sales reps know the rules of HIPAA. They know they cannot simply walk...

• Use personal code words to better manage disclosures to friends and families

  Happy patients are good for business. And although part of keeping them happy is protecting the...

• Portability 101: Don't forget about the other HIPAA

  With so much focus on administrative simplification standards, it's easy to forget about the other...

Issue 9, September 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Address these nagging privacy issues now

  It's been more than two years since HIPAA's privacy rule's compliance date, but common issues...

• Make room for HIPPA in your organization's employee sanction policies

  To enforce your organization's HIPAA-related policies and procedures, you need the muscle to back...

• Test your staff's privacy knowledge with these six case scenarios

  Simply providing your staff with one training session on HIPAA privacy won't save you from a...

Issue 8, August 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Get ready now for NPIs

  May 23-the most recent HIPAA implementation date-marked the first day covered providers, including...

• Don't read too much into the DOJ's opinion on privacy rule enforcement

  There's no need to worry: The recently released opinion on the enforcement of HIPAA's privacy rule...

• Gain patient confidence by being up-front about privacy breaches

  Although organizations must track incidental disclosures of patients' PHI, HIPAA doesn't require...

Issue 7, July 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Teach staff to answer questions on privacy protection requests

  It?s important for your staff to know what to say when patients request access to their PHI. To...

• Combat confusion over patient authorization requirements

  Create script to clarify frontline responses to questions How well do your staff respond when...

• Training without draining: Tips to avoid redundancy in employee education

  A crucial employee at your facility gives notice, leaving you three weeks to recruit, interview...

• Make workstation security less of a workout

  The physical safeguards standards of HIPAA address compliance issues that are often the most...

Issue 6, June 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Are your patients spotting HIPAA violations at your facility?

  Part two of a two-part series. At this point, you must have safeguards to protect patient...

• For sale: Thriving practice, PHI not included

  Pros and cons of transferring patient records when selling your facility As competition rises...

• Responsibility for training BAs

  Q: Some of our business associates (BA) have asked us whether we could provide them with HIPAA...

Issue 5, May 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Is that a HIPAA violation?

  By now, HIPAA privacy and security compliance should be a reality at your facility, but perhaps...

• Seven steps to file and address complaints with CMS

  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released in March the procedures for filing...

Issue 4, April 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

Issue 3, March 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Risk analysis and gap analysis: Compliance's dynamic duo

  To prevent a false start in the HIPAA security race, you must know the difference between a risk...

• You can save $$ and still comply with HIPAA

  Staying in compliance can be expensive. From training and monitoring to closing compliance gaps...

Issue 2, February 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Minimize your risk of medical privacy litigation related to HIPAA

  Other than closing up shop, there's no way to completely insulate your facility from the threat of...

• Eight security fundamentals to protect PHI

  For some covered entities (CE), physical security means an electronic badge and keypad system; for...

Issue 1, January 1, 2005 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Contingency planning: What you don't do will hurt you

  Many healthcare facilities created basic contingency plans long before HIPAA. However, the act's...

• Deny patients their PHI and still comply with HIPAA

  Last month we explained the 12 grounds your organizations can use for denying patients access to...