Health Information Compliance Alert

Plus: Feds offer more podcasts on policy, IT, and disaster planning.

As the feds roll out more regulatory relief in times of COVID-19, you can take another administrative task off your plate — at least for now.

“In an effort to reduce provider burden,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has delayed multi-factor authentication (MFA) requirements for the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) “until further notice,” it says.

For the Identity and Access Management System (I&A) and the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), “you have a 360-day grace period to set up MFA after your first login,” CMS says. “By September 30, 2021, you are required to use MFA to successfully access the system.”

In other news…

If you love to listen to podcasts about healthcare policy, then you’re in for a treat. More health agencies are jumping on the digital bandwagon with new offerings.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently debuted a new website and online format. One of the updated features is a podcast hub with links to a variety of shows across its auxiliary agencies. Highlights include the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Intramural: “Speaking of Science” and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): “Beyond the Policy.”

Find links to HHS, NIH, and CMS podcasts and others at www.hhs.gov/podcasts/index.html.