Federal watchdog agency joins chorus for observation stay reform, reports on scope of the problem
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 31, 2013
Observation status prevented hundreds of thousands of people from qualifying for Medicare coverage of skilled nursing services last year, showing the pressing need for reform, according to a government...
Device theft continues to be the major cause of HIPAA violations, government agency reports
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 16, 2014
Long-term care providers should keep close tabs on laptops and other equipment, because device theft is still the leading cause of information breaches, according to a recently released government report.
Singing show tunes combats dementia: study
By
Tim Mullaney
Nov 13, 2013
Long-term care operators might want to add show-tune sing-alongs to their dementia care plans, new research suggests.
Recent record-breaking HIPAA fines will be ‘low’ compared to what’s coming, government...
By
Tim Mullaney
Jun 17, 2014
Healthcare providers should brace for even more aggressive enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and they should expect fines to increase substantially, according to a...
Hospitals object to collecting their own data as part of post-acute reform, urge revisions to draft legislation
By
Tim Mullaney
May 15, 2014
Hospitals should not be required to collect patient assessment data as part of an effort to revamp post-acute care, the leader of the American Hospital Association argued in a recent letter to top Congressional...
Providers charging even $1 per page for EHR access could be violating HIPAA, report warns
By
Tim Mullaney
Jan 13, 2015
Long-term care providers that charge people to access their electronic health records might be violating federal law, according to recently released findings from the American Health Information Management...
Theft from Michigan long-term care ombudsman jeopardizes HIPAA-protected information of 2,500 people
By
Tim Mullaney
Apr 07, 2014
Thousands of people receiving long-term care in Michigan have had their personal information compromised due to a laptop and flash drive theft, the state’s Department of Community Health (MDCH) has...
CMS to offer more detailed nursing home data, memo states
By
Tim Mullaney
Jul 02, 2013
Users of the Nursing Home Compare website will soon be able to access and download more detailed data, including newly available information about inspections, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...
RAC program needs better oversight, Inspector General report finds
By
Tim Mullaney
Sep 05, 2013
Recovery audit contractors might be better at reviewing Medicare claims than critics allege, but the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services could improve RAC performance evaluations, according to a new...
Nursing home to pay $90,000 settlement over firing of HIV-positive nurse
By
Tim Mullaney
May 12, 2014
A Tennessee nursing home has agreed to pay $90,000 to settle charges that it violated federal law in firing an HIV-positive staff member, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Friday.