June 6th, 2017
Despite the change in administration, experts say The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) is here to stay and its full speed ahead. The MACRA law replaces the previous fee-for-service Medicare payment structure with a value-based pay-for-performance program built on measures of quality and efficiency. The legislation affects all healthcare providers that care for at least 100 Medicare patients or bill more than $30,000 a year. The shift from volume to value-based payment will either reward or penalize providers based upon their performance.
October 31st, 2016
Five Facts to Know about the Final MACRA Rule
August 31st, 2016
The Stark Law can be a source of confusion for a lot of medical practices and rightfully so. It was enacted in 1989, but has since been expanded upon and revised several times, with additional phases added much later.
October 20th, 2015
Patient engagement has been a rapidly emerging movement and buzzword in the healthcare industry this year. There have been countless articles, blogs, studies, and educational forums dedicated to the topic. It has been labeled as the "the blockbuster drug of the century”. Some say, “The future of healthcare is being...
September 28th, 2015
Infection Control
Healthcare-associated infections are a major, preventable, threat to patient safety and one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Approximately, 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection. This adds up to $33 billion in excess medical costs every year.
In efforts to increase...
September 17th, 2015
Yes, the proper sterilization of medical devices, surgical instruments, supplies and equipment utilized in patient care and surgery is a critical aspect of health care that directly impacts patient safety. Hospitals and Ambulatory Centers are required to be in compliance with the Federal requirements outlined in the Medicare Conditions of...
June 12th, 2015
OIG ISSUES FRAUD ALERT WARNING OF ANTI-KICKBACK LIABILITY FORCERTAIN PHYSICIAN COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS
On June 9, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG) posted a new Fraud Alert to its website (oig.hhs.gov/compliance/alerts/guidance/Frau...) cautioning physicians who enter into compensation arrangements, such as medical directorships, that such arrangements may violate the federal Anti-kickback statute if steps...
May 18th, 2015
On March 18, 2015, the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) issued a report offering guidance for employers on drafting their employee policy and procedure handbook. The following article, “NLRB’s General Counsel Issues Guidance On Employee Handbook Provisions,” written by Shima Walker with the McLane Law Firm,...
February 6th, 2015
Has your practice reported its breach?
45CFR 164.408 requires all covered entities (CE) and Business Associates (BA) to provide the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary with notice of breaches of unsecured protected health information. The number of affected individuals determines when the notification must be completed.
Breaches of unsecured...
January 20th, 2015
Has the minimum wage increased in your state? The National Conference of State Legislatures has issued a publication listing the individual states that have increased their minimum wages in 2014 and 2015.
As of January 1, 2015, 29 states and D.C. will have minimum wages above the federal minimum wage.
Four states...