HHS/CMS announce ePrescribing regulations. The Department of Health and Human Services and CMS issued a final rule for ePrescribing standards. The final rules were published in the Federal Register under November 7, 2005 at 70 FR 67568.
November 2005
Highmark Announces eHealth Collaborative to Help Physicians with EHR
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Uncategorized
Highmark announces the Highmark E Health Collaborative. The Highmark E Health Collaborative is a joint project between Highmark and the Pittsburgh Foundation to foster the adoption and utilization of electronic prescription systems. The Collaborative will provide funding to eligible physicians who wish to acquire and use electronic technology. Highmark will contribute $26.5 million , $18.5…
JCAHO Proposes New Medical Staff Credentialing Standards
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Credentialing and Peer Review
JCAHO has posted a field review notice regarding hospital Medical Staff credentialing in privileging standards. The proposed standards would establish additional evidence based processes for the determining the competence of practitioners. See the JCAHO website link for the field review.
CMS Issues P4P Demo Project Results
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Medicare & Reimbursement
The centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported today that quality of care has improved significantly in hospitals participating in the premier hospital quality incentive demonstration project, a groundbreaking Medicare pay for performance demonstration project. The press release was posted on the CMS website on
November 14, 2005.
2006 MCARE Surcharge
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Uncategorized
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department announced on October 31, 2005 that the 2006 MCARE assessment will be 29% of the primary prevailing premium. Earlier in the week, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell promised extending the MCARE abatement program for 2 more years.
Malpractice Cases Not Reported
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Uncategorized
Several hundred medical malpractice cases settled or adjudicated by the Department of Health and Human Services between 1997 and 2004 were not reported to a national repository of provider data, the HHS Office of Inspector General said in report released Oct. 19.
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Stark DHS Includes Nuclear Medicine
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Fraud - Stark
The final rule from the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule revises the Stark definition of designated health services (DHS) to include diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine services. Since this change will impact existing relationships, this portion of the rule has a delayed effect date, i.e. January 1, 2007.
10 Biggest Mistakes Physicians Make In The Credentialing Process
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Credentialing and Peer Review
Physicians often ignore crucial early warning signs in the credentialing process. Physicians also sometimes ignore the fact that the credentialing process is a structured legal process which can trap the unwary and penalize the careless. Here are 10 mistakes physicians make during the process, along with advice on how to prevent them.
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OSHA Requirements for Medical Professionals
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Compliance
The OSHA regulations applicable to the offices of medical professionals are aimed at creating a safe and healthy practice. Compliance creates a positive work environment and minimizes employee complaints. There are six OSHA general standards that apply to physician offices of all sizes and a seventh requirement that applies only to offices that offer X-ray services. We will discuss each in this article.
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Patient Safety And Quality Improvement Act Of 2005
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Credentialing and Peer Review
President Bush signed the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 on July 29, 2005, describing the legislation as “a critical step towards our goals insuring top quality, patient-driven healthcare for all Americans.”
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