Home Health & Hospice Week
$1.5 Million HIPAA Lesson: Secure Your Hard Drives
Learn a lesson from one health plan's HIPAA disaster. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee agreed to pay the Department of Health and Hu-man Services $1.5 million to settle potential HIPAA violations, according to an HHS release. This action followed BCBST's disclosure of the theft of 57 unencrypted computer hard drives from a leased facility in Tennessee. BCBST failed "to implement appropriate administrative safeguards to adequately protect information," HHS says. It should have been performing the required security evaluation in response to operational changes, according to the release. In addition, the investigation showed a "failure to implement appropriate physical safeguards by not having adequate facility access controls," it added. The HHS Office for Civil Rights, which enforces HIPAA, "expects health plans and health care providers to have in place a carefully designed, delivered, and monitored HIPAA compliance program," OCR Director Leon Rodriguez says. In addition to the fine and policy & procedures requirements, BCBST must provide "regular and robust trainings for all BCBST employees covering employee responsibilities under HIPAA.
Home Health & Hospice Week
- Regulations:
HHCAHPS Data Debuts On Home Health Compare
Medicaid ABNs, observation & assessment billing, and therapy reassessment timing also addressed by CMS in [...] - Compliance:
Don't Click That Link! Healthcare Providers Vulnerable To Online Security Threats
Take these steps to safeguard against medical identity theft. As a healthcare provider, you are [...] - Fraud & Abuse:
Reduce Your ID Theft Risk With 7 Steps
Surprise audits can serve as deterrents to theft. Consider these field-tested tips on closing the [...] - Industry Note:
Watch For New Medicare Wage Index System
Will unfair exceptions finally go away? CMS is recommending a new hospital wage index system [...] - Industry Note:
Slow-Declining' Diagnoses Top Hospice Denial List
You should cast a sharp eye on any hospice claims you submit with a primary [...] - Industry Note:
CMS Website Revamp Wipes Out Your Bookmarks
It seems to be a regular occurrence, but can still be a hassle. It's time [...] - Industry Note:
Zone 3 ZPIC Launches This Week
The newest ZPIC's start date has rolled around. Cahaba Safeguard Administrators, the Zone Program Integrity [...] - Industry Note:
Hold Off On 56900 Claims Action
If you had ADR'd claims denied in error with reason code 56900 (not receiving medical [...] - Industry Note:
Avoid Common 855 Pitfalls In Sections 5 And 6
Watch our for reenrollment form pitfalls when it's your turn to revalidate. "Many Medicare enrollment [...] - Industry Note:
CMS Fraud Program Crunches Data At Big Brother Levels
The Medicare program may have a closer eye on you than you think. CMS "has [...] - Industry Note:
$1.5 Million HIPAA Lesson: Secure Your Hard Drives
Learn a lesson from one health plan's HIPAA disaster. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee [...] - Industry Note:
New HHA Company Hits Acquisition Trail
A newly renamed investment company plans a Florida acquisition, and has a wider acquisition strategy [...] - Industry Note:
Texas Home Care Chain Makes Dallas Buy
Mt. Vernon, Texas-based Jordan health Services has purchased Dallas-area HHA Tritrax Healthcare Services from Ancor [...] - Reader Question:
Outlier Payment Deficiencies Cripple Small Providers
Will the next claims system update fix the problem? Question: Is there anything we can [...] - Certification:
Beware F2F Documentation Signed By Residents
CMS answers about face-to-face requirements raise more questions. That face-to-face documentation you have signed by [...]
