Articles and Blogs

On June 13, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced that it reached a settlement with a California medical center (“Medical Center”) stemming from alleged violations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) Privacy Rule. The settlement follows an investigation by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) that... READ MORE

Executive Summary On May 17, 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published Change Request 8219 (Transmittal 465) (“CR 8219”) announcing new guidance on the use of rubber stamp signatures. For medical review purposes, Medicare requires providers to authenticate services provided or ordered with a handwritten or electronic signature. Currently, CMS does... READ MORE

Introduction What Is  a Scribe?  A scribe is a documentation assistant.  A scribe records, in “real time,” facts and events that occur between a patient and a physician or other practitioner1 (“Physician”) during a patient encounter.  In a hospital emergency department, the scribe accompanies the Physician to the treatment area and records in the electronic... READ MORE

Please be advised that the Wisconsin Division of Quality Assurance (“DQA”) has requested your response on the new online automated caregiver background check process for the four-year renewal background checks requirements by May 31, 2013. READ MORE

One of the more difficult tasks facing medical staff leadership is determining when and how to respond to complaints of unprofessional physician behavior. A physician’s clinical competence can be assessed objectively, relying on case reviews by physicians in the same specialty area and accepted standards of care. Conducting such reviews are well within the... READ MORE

On Tuesday, May 21, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced that it had reached a settlement with a State University (“University”) arising out of alleged violations of the Security Rule under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). The settlement comes after an HHS Office for Civil... READ MORE

Executive Summary On April 26, 2013 CMS released proposed rules for implementing Section 3133 of the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”).  Starting in 2014, these proposed rules will begin a series of substantial reductions in Disproportionate Share Hospital (“DSH”) payments to hospitals.  Most payments under the new DSH program will be from a set pool... READ MORE

Executive Summary On May 8, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued an updated version of its Special Advisory Bulletin on the Effect of Exclusion from Participation in Federal Health Care Programs (“Updated Bulletin”).  In September of 1999, the OIG published its original bulletin on this topic... READ MORE

On Tuesday, April 30, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) began implementing an automated version of Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, at air and sea ports of entry.  Form I-94 provides foreign travelers with evidence that they have been lawfully admitted to the United States, which is necessary to verify alien registration, immigration status... READ MORE

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