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Compliance

Compliance

OSHA inspections

Avoid Penalties and Fees With OSHA Inspection Best Practices

Medical practices are increasingly becoming targets of OSHA inspections, and penalties are rising for practices that are found to be in violation. During an inspection—whether it’s a surprise or pre-scheduled—the inspector will review your paperwork, look at electronic documentation, check out medical and lab equipment for safety, and probably take photographs and videos. And if […]
Patient referrals

3 Ways to Spot Potentially High-Risk Patient Referrals

The government maintains a very broad definition of “referrals,” which means practices have to work harder than ever to avoid Anti-Kickback law violations. Every time you refer a patient somewhere, you’ve got to have your eye on whether it’s a compliant referral to avoid accusations of wrongdoing. One way to stay on the straight and […]
stark law

Discover How the PHE’s End Will Impact the Stark Law

The end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is now behind us, and the discontinuation of certain PHE policies spans far beyond COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. In fact, the PHE’s end also has compliance considerations that every practice must know. Among these are vast changes to the Stark law and the ending of blanket […]
Information blocking

5 Examples Help You Master Information Blocking Violations

If your practice isn’t familiar with the federal 21st Century Cures Act—also called the information blocking rule—then you could be at risk of violating this law. In essence, your practice must make electronic health information available to patients and others securely and swiftly, at no cost. Practices that prevent patient access may implicate the information […]
encryption

To Encrypt or Not to Encrypt: Know the Encryption Pros and Cons

Encrypting your medical records, communications and documents can add a deeper layer of security to the protected health information (PHI) that you share and store. When you encrypt data, you’re obscuring it from unauthorized users, making it less likely to be seen by others. If you’re thinking of launching an encryption policy at your practice, […]
Administrative fee

5 Administrative Fees Your Practice Could Charge to Earn More

Perhaps your practice has had success charging for no-shows or sports physical form completions—or maybe you’re just starting to investigate which administrative fees you might explore. Either way, there are many factors to consider if you’re thinking of charging administrative fees, but before you dot your I’s and cross your T’s, you might want to […]
Recovery audit contractors

Prepare for Your RAC Audit With 7 Time-Tested Tips

When a recovery audit contractor (RAC) decides to audit your practice, you must cooperate, or you can be excluded from Medicare or cut off from reimbursement. It’s also important not to panic. As long as you have a RAC preparation strategy, your audit should go smoothly. Get ready for recovery audit contractors with these seven […]
Medicaid audit

OIG Outlines the Biggest Medicaid Audit Findings of 2022

If you were curious about whether the OIG had stepped up Medicaid audits as the pandemic’s effects began to wane, it’s time to stop wondering. The agency finalized 1,327 convictions last year, recovering $1.1 billion during 2022. And even though many practices equate audits solely with Medicare, the latest OIG report confirms the fact that […]
Respond to subpoena

How to Negotiate for More Time When Responding to Subpoenas

If your practice receives a subpoena for records and documents, it can spark immediate fear—not only because it’s always stressful to deal with legal issues, but also because the clock is ticking to respond to the subpoena on time. Fortunately, the person sending the subpoena understands that you’re busy, and may allow extra time to […]
Medical front desk

5 Regulatory Issues Every Front Desk Staff Member Must Master

Being at the front desk of a medical practice can sometimes feel like you’re running interference at an air traffic control station. From working with insurers to calming frustrated patients, the job can be all-encompassing. One area that some medical front desk staffers may not have time to focus on is unfortunately one of the […]