Although the effective date of February 17, 2010 for many HITECH Act provisions has passed, Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights has announced that, through notice and comment rulemaking, it will provide specific information regarding the expected date of compliance and enforcement of the HITECH Act requirements.

 Contributed by Paul Welk

pwelk@tuckerlaw.com, 412.594.5536

Orthopedic Institute of Pennsylvania ("OIP") and the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights recently settled a Complaint filed by a prospective patient who is deaf. The Complaint was filed after OIP declined the patient’s request for a sign language interpreter when he called to schedule…

 President Obama has signed H.R. 4691, "The Temporary Extension Act of 2010", into law. H.R. 4691 re-instates the therapy cap exceptions process until March 31, 2010. Outpatient therapy service providers may now submit claims with the KX modifier, when an exception is appropriate, for services furnished on or after January 1, 2010 through March 31…

 Contributed by Piyush Seth

412.594.5640, pseth@tuckerlaw.com

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Courtesy of the MGMA

Barring last-minute action by Congress, the 21.2 percent cut to Medicare physician payments will take effect next Monday, March 1. Despite previous indications that the Senate was considering an amendment to an anticipated job-creation bill to avert the cut, no clear legislative pathway for relief has yet been defined.  Medical Group…

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act ("HITECH") provisions of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 ("ARRA") contain a number of changes affecting the compliance obligations of covered entities and business associates under HIPAA. Many of the key provisions of HITECH are effective as of February 17, 2010 and it…