The lead report in BNA’s Health Law Reporter on May 31, 2012 noted an increase in lawsuits by doctors claiming that hospital peer review proceedings are being used as retaliation for whistleblower activities, i.e. reports pointing out improper practices and patient safety issues. The report cites two primary reasons for this growing trend:
· The…
OCR posted on its website the protocol used to conduct the audits required by the HITECH Act. The OCR HIPAA Audit program analyzes key processes, controls, and policies of selected covered entities pursuant to the HITECH Act audit requirement. OCR established a comprehensive audit protocol that contains the requirements to be assessed through these performance…
For participants in the Medicare Shared Savings Program, physician-based and rural providers who have come together voluntarily to give coordinated high quality care to the Medicare patients they serve through the Advance Payment ACO Model. Through the Advance Payment ACO Model, selected participants will receive upfront and monthly payments, which they can use to make…
The Office of CIvil Rights has released a memo outlining an individual’s right to access their medical information. The memo explains that though the right to see and obtain a copy of one’s medical record has always been permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule, “many consumers face barriers to getting their health information – and…
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has announced the implementation of trademark clearinghouse services. The trademark clearinghouse will function as an information repository, offering authentication and validation services for trademark data. Trademark holders and generic top level domain (gTLD) registry operators will rely on the trademark clearinghouse to support rights protection mechanisms
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Contributed by Lee Kim, Esq.
412.594.3915
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it will adopt rules to enable Medical Body Area Networks (MBANs)). MBANs are low-power wideband networks. MBAN technology comprises multiple body-worn sensors that transmit patient data to a control device for actively monitoring a patient’s health, such as vital signs, blood glucose…
The Superior Court of Pennsylvania recently affirmed a lower court’s judgment entered in favor of a nursing home in a case under the Relatives Liability statute. Liberty Nursing & Rehabilitation Center filed a filial support action against a former resident’s son for the resident’s unpaid bills after the resident’s discharge in 2008. The parties submitted the…
HCQIA, ” due process” immunity…
Continue Reading Federal Court Denies HCQIA Immunity for Failure to Provide Due Process
An agreement between Highmark and UPMC is expected to be announced at 12:30 p.m. today by Gov. Tom Corbett’s office today, sources have told the Post-Gazette.
Details of the agreement were not immediately known and none of the parties involved would comment this morning.
Legislators and others said today that a three-year pact, until…
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has published corrections to its Meaningful Use Stage 2 proposed rule in the Federal Register. “This document corrects technical errors and typographical errors in the proposed rule entitled ‘Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Electronic Health Record Incentive Program—Stage 2’ which appeared in the March 7, 2012, Federal Register.”
The…
