Practice Resources

 

1. The Goal of Accountable Care Orgaizations is to create an organization that is rewarded for providing high quality care. Here are two helpful documents:

The changes to HIPAA include

a. All Business Associates must now have a full HIPAA program, therefore every Covered Entity are required to send out and get a new SIGNED Business Associate agreement.

b. All Covered Entities must now have a Data Breach Policy. This policy must explain in detail what your organization will do in the event of a breach. The new law speaks to how to handle a data breach and your policy must include those guidelines.

c. The fines for non compliance for HIPAA for increased from 25,000 to 1.5 million

d. You must report any and all breaches to HHS. (HIPAA finally is a tiger with teeth)

e. You must notify HHS, affected patients and BA of any and all breached. If the breach is over 500 patients you must alert your local and regional media.  

f. So you need immediately.  A data breach policy, staff training, new updated business associate agreements, templates of letters that you will use to notify the required enitities and patients including Health and Human Services and a log to record the breaches.

These tools are for guidance and reference and should not be used in the place of sound legal advice.

Sample Breach Tool

Sample Business Associate Agreement

HIPAA Security Rule Standard & Implementation Specs.

Sample Information Security Policy

Sample Privacy Compliance Checklist

Notice of Privacy Pratice Effective 2/18/10 

 

3.  The SGR cuts have been postponed until November 30, 2010. We have listed some resources to contact Legislators. Not Another Patch!
AMA Flyer for your office
Letter of explanation to patients
Template letters to Legislators

4. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), physicians must have a plan in place to address Red Flag Regulations. This is a Sample Red Flag Policy. You may download these resources and develop your own. Report Identity Theft

 

5. Linda McMullen, FMA Medical Economics Director, spoke at our June ECMS Meeting. The topic for discussion was the Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors. Click to view the Powerpoint Slide Presentation. Two additional resources: provider medical records requirements and appealing a Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) overpayment.

 

6. The CDC Antiviral recommendations for H1N1 infection are available at: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/recommendations.htm. The CDC Testing recommendations are available at: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/specimencollection.htm.

 

7. For the Record. How to contact your local and State Government. Fact Sheet

 

8. The following links allow you to view a typical ICD-9 Superbill and the new and improved ICD-10 superbill for a Family Medicine practice. The new codes must be used in 2013.

9. Hurricane Season begins in June. One step you can take now, is to prepare a plan for your business. There are many resources, Florida has an interactive resource at www.FloridaDisater.org. This website allows you to create a business and personal disaster plan.