The Compliance Insider 

There have been some recent inquiries about what healthcare occupations the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens standard covers. As a reminder, the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard does not list occupations that are automatically... Continue Reading

Q. A patient signed an authorization eight months ago, and her attorney is now submitting it to obtain a copy of her medical records. Is this authorization still valid, or do we need to get the patient to sign a new... Continue Reading

The goal of social distancing is to avoid contact with others as much as possible when contagion is a risk to avoid the spread of infection. Here are some suggestions for the workplace. "Social distancing" is... Continue Reading

Leon Rodriguez, the new enforcer at the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights, describes his HIPAA enforcement agenda. "As I've learned as a prosecutor and then as a defense lawyer,... Continue Reading

Q. May we allow employees who have been granted access to PHI through the workforce clearance procedure to access their own PHI through the electronic medical record (EMR) without first requiring them to sign a... Continue Reading

With Halloween fast approaching, it's time to remind staff about safety compliance with regard to the variety of holiday decorations that will be present through the end of the year. Well-timed handouts to... Continue Reading

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has sent a Shared Savings/Accountable Care Organizations final rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. OMB review is one of the last steps before... Continue Reading

Q: A fax containing PHI is sent to an incorrect fax number. Did the covered entity (CE) or business associate (BA) violate HIPAA? Must we include this incident in the patient disclosure accounting record? A:... Continue Reading

CMS wants to remind eligible professionals (EPs), eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) of the key registration dates for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs, and provide... Continue Reading

The CDC recently released guidelines for preventing and controlling norovirus in healthcare settings. Norovirus has been increasing in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings for the past few years, but... Continue Reading