As they do every year, The Internal Revenue Service released the dollar limits that apply to qualified retirement plans.Continue Reading The 2013 Limits for Qualified Retirement Plans
2012
Court Allows Complaint Alleging Wrongful Data Bank Report as Intentional Infliction of Distress
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Credentialing and Peer Review
Sheikh v. Grant Regional Health Center is another case in a growing body of evidence that courts are granting less leeway and protection to hospitals which abuse the HCQIA immunity and reporting protections.
This is not a final decision awarding damages! It is only a decision by a Wisconsin federal district court rejecting the hospital’s motion…
CMS Response to Breaches and Medical Identity Theft
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in HIPAA, HIT, and EHR
Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
412.594.3915
CMS has reported that it had 14 breaches of protected health information between September 23, 2009, and December 31, 2011. CMS notified the 13,775 Medicare beneficiaries affected by the breaches. However, according to the Office of Inspector General of HHS (OIG), it did not meet several ARRA requirements.
Pittsburgh Business Times article: Growing number of carriers offering companies cybersecurity insurance
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
Lee Kim, attorney in the health law practice group of Tucker Arensberg, P.C., was recently featured in a Pittsburgh Business Times article entitled, "Growing number of carriers offering companies cybersecurity insurance."
Link to the article: www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/print-edition/2012/10/05/growing-number-of-carriers-offering.html.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Article: Patients may suffer as doctors switch practices, health systems
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Legal News
Michael A. Cassidy, JD, CHC, shareholder and director of Tucker Arensberg, P.C. and Chair of the Health Law Practice Group, was recently featured in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article entitled "Patients may suffer as doctors switch practices, health systems."
Link to the article: www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/news/patients-may-suffer-as-doctors-switch-practices-health-systems-654855/.
The Role of Social Media in Healthcare
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in HIPAA, HIT, and EHR
Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
412.594.3915
The Medical Billing & Coding blog has a recent entry on the role of social media in healthcare. The title of the post is 50 Amazing Ways Hospitals Are Using Facebook and Twitter. The blog entry provides a broad perspective on how hospitals are using social media outlets…
THE PROPOSED 2013 MEDICARE PHYSICIAN FEE SCHEDULE PRESENTS SOME MAJOR CONCERNS
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in Medicare & Reimbursement
CMS issued the proposed 2013 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule on July 30, 2012. The complete document package of approximately 700 pages is available on both the CMS website and at www.medlawblog.com. For this article, I will not summarize all 700 pages, but I would like to hit three of the most significant issues:
1. 27%…
Join WPHIMSS for the Summer Healthcare & Technology Round Table on September 20th
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in HIPAA, HIT, and EHR
Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
President-Elect of WPHIMSS
412.594.3915
Please join the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), and guests for our annual Summer Healthcare & Technology Round Table on Thursday, September 20 at the DoubleTree in Monroeville, PA. See address and directions below.
The Summer Round Table includes a…
Settlement of Federal Lawsuit Against Accretive Health, Inc.
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in HIPAA, HIT, and EHR
Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
412.594.3915
Lori Swanson, the Minnesota Attorney General, announced that Accretive Health, Inc., the Chicago debt collector that managed the revenue operations of several Minnesota hospitals, will cease operations in Minnesota as a result of a settlement agreement. In addition, Accretive cannot reenter Minnesota for a period of six (6) years…
Meaningful Use Stage 2 Overview, Payment Adjustment Amounts, and Hardship Exceptions Tipsheets
By Michael Cassidy on
Posted in HIPAA, HIT, and EHR
Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
412.594.3915
Highlights of meaningful use stage 2 include the following:
1. Eligible hospitals, critical access hospitals, and eligible professionals may demonstrate meaningful use stage 2 as early as 2014. Most of the stage 1 meaningful use stage 1 menu objectives are now stage 2 core objectives.
2. Eligible professionals must…