Corporate Compliance Newsletters

Briefings on APCs Briefings on Coding Compliance Strategies Briefings on HIPAA Strategies for Health Care Compliance

News and real-life examples to increase the effectiveness of your compliance program. Strategies for Health Care Compliance will be your guide for avoiding fraud and maintaining compliance.

Subscribe »

2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

Issue 8, August 1, 2015 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Prepare for increased queries in ICD-10-PCS

  ICD-10-CM will still allow coders to report unspecified codes. However, coders will not have that...

• Query practice: Find the right tool for the job

  It's been two years since the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) joined...

• Security Q&A: Release of information, medical record access

  Q: I perform monthly HIPAA audits of computer systems at the medical group where I am employed. I...

• Considerations for behavioral health services

  Incentives posed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Triple Aim Initiative and...

Issue 7, July 1, 2015 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Explore pre-bill audits to help reduce instances of rebilling and recoding

  Conducting pre-billing audits can be challenging, but when done correctly, it can save...

• Mergers and acquisitions: Health system considers information security pre- and post-merger

  Mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare industry are often decided upon and negotiated by...

• Distinguish between code poisonings, adverse effects to code correctly in ICD-10-CM

  A patient comes into the ED complaining of blurred vision, headache, dizziness, and numbness in her...

Issue 6, June 1, 2015 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• CMS continues focus on quality measures in 2016 IPPS proposed rule

  In the fiscal year 2016 IPPS proposed rule, CMS announces the usual changes to MS-DRGs and their...

• EHR menu design may influence provider decision-making

  As EHRs become more prominent, healthcare organizations should search for the best ways to leverage...

• JC quarterly update: Patient care orders/protocols: What do the regulations say?

  At HCPro's Accreditation Specialist Boot Camp, we continue to receive questions about standing...

• Anthem hack affects 80 million, underscores threat of medical identity theft

  Hackers gained unauthorized access to the information technology system of Anthem, Inc., and...

• ICD-10-CM seventh characters

  One of the new concepts in ICD-10-CM is the seventh character to denote the encounter type. In...

Issue 5, May 1, 2015 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Health information technology: Take steps to decrease risk when using technology

  The healthcare industry is continuously evolving, and health information technology is changing...

• HIM leadership and interdepartmental collaboration needed to finalize charts post-discharge

  Organizations often struggle to finalize charts after discharge so they can be coded in a timely...

• Consider expanding CDI to outpatient departments

  Even before ICD-10-CM was delayed until October 1, 2015, the quality of physician documentation to...

• HIPAA Q&A: Handling electronic copies of records, minimizing incidental disclosures

  Q: I work in long-term care, and I am familiar with the language in HIPAA regulations regarding...

Issue 4, April 1, 2015 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Cyber insurance may help cover the true cost of a breach

  Even organizations with sound policies, procedures, training, and safeguards can experience a...

• Role of risk analysis, risk management, and evaluation

  The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced December 8, 2014, that it fined an Alaska behavioral...

• Queries can help reflect accurate SOI, ROM

  Coding tells a patient's story, based on the narrative the physician provides in his or her...

• Security Q&A: Audit logs, photographs, and video conferencing

  Q: As part of the audit controls policy at my organization, we hired an external security vendor...

Issue 3, March 1, 2015 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Perform vulnerability assessment before ­conducting penetration testing

  While organizations should focus on performing regular risk assessments and analyses, there are...

• HIPAA Q&A: Patient PHI and identifiable information

  Q: My facility no longer registers patients under aliases, but will allow them to opt out of the...

• ICD-10-PCS bypass is more than CABG

  Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures are not the only ones coders will report using the...

• Know when to charge for ancillary bedside procedures beyond the room rate

  Inpatient coding professionals are used to DRG systems where all of the diagnoses and procedures...

• TJC quarterly update: Recommendations for Improvement down, but medical record still important during surveys

  RC.01.01.01, Content of the Medical Record, did not top the list of survey findings for hospitals...

Issue 2, February 1, 2015 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The role of information governance in defining the LHR

  While it can be challenging to define your organization's legal health record (LHR), one health...

• Combine coding guidelines, clinical definitions to correctly code sepsis in ICD-9-CM

  Coding for sepsis requires a strong knowledge of ICD-9-CM coding guidelines, as well as complete...

• CMS finalizes change to physician certification requirement in 2015 OPPS final rule

  Beginning January 1, 2015, physicians will no longer need to provide certification for an inpatient...

• Security Q&A: Fundraising, marketing, and information system review audit requirements

  Q: I am familiar with the HIPAA Security Rule requiring information system review audits. Are...

Issue 1, January 1, 2015 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Agreement for use of mobile devices

  Mobile devices have changed the way people share and access information in their personal and...

• ICD-10 countdown: Testing may offer a glimpse into the future

  The new ICD-10 implementation date is less than a year away, and CMS is gearing up its end-to-end...

• HIPAA Q&A: Disclosure of PHI and confidentiality agreements

  Q: If someone calls a facility to schedule an appointment for a patient, is it a violation of...

• Start resolving ICD-10-CM questions

  Many coders rely on the advice in the American Hospital Association (AHA)'s Coding Clinic to...