The Compliance Insider 

Q: After meeting with physicians to review lab reports, patients often request a copy of the report. Is written consent or authorization required before the physician provides the patient with a copy? A: Written... Continue Reading

The long-overdue HIPAA compliance audit program likely will launch late this year or early in 2012 after test audits are completed by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The first step will be the creation of a... Continue Reading

Q: What disinfectant does OSHA recommend for protection from bloodborne pathogens? A: OSHA does not make specific product or brand recommendations, but directs healthcare providers to consult the EPA... Continue Reading

OSHA recently released its semiannual regulatory agenda items and some of them could directly affect compliance in healthcare facilities. Most of the healthcare-related items are still in the pre-rule stage meaning... Continue Reading

Selecting a strong computer password, one that is easy for you to remember but difficult for someone else to guess, is an essential step in securing your practice's information. Generally, you should select a... Continue Reading

Q. When an attorney requests records and asks that all records be released, must we comply and send all the patient's medical records? A. If the request was accompanied by the patient's authorization,... Continue Reading

Q. Do patient sign-in sheets violate the HIPAA Privacy Rule? If they do not, does a recommended format exist? A. Covered entities are responsible for limiting incidental disclosures. Using a patient sign-in... Continue Reading

An OSHA whistleblower investigation has a dentist squirming in the regulatory exam chair, so to speak. It is also a reminder that workplace safety violations aren't the only way that dental and medical practices... Continue Reading

Professional courtesy or other practices that involve waiving co-payments or other cost-sharing amounts raise concerns. Where the recipients of such waivers are Medicare beneficiaries, the waiver of co-payments... Continue Reading

Recently, the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency notified 1,000 employers that their personnel records will be audited by federal investigators to determine... Continue Reading