The Compliance Insider 

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

Professional courtesy, when extended to a physician or entity who refers to "designated health services" can implicate the Stark Law. The Stark Law is a strict liability statute and the penalties for violating the... Continue Reading

We have often said that if authorities initiated more high-profile legal actions against alleged HIPAA violators, it would go a long way toward boosting compliance. So, we are glad to see that federal prosecutors in... Continue Reading

Tempting as it may be to ask job candidates for their school report cards a better method is to look for subtle clues potential slackers give during the hiring process. People with fixed mindsets believe you are... Continue Reading

Check out this summary regarding the HIPAA Privacy Rule Accounting of disclosures proposed rule published by HHS in the Federal Register May 31. The proposed rule: * Applies to any medical and healthcare... Continue Reading

Latex is a rubber product found in many manufactured goods, including: * Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, goggles, and aprons; * Medical equipment, such as catheters and intravenous... Continue Reading

HIPAA experts say the major takeaway from the HIPAA Privacy Rule disclosures proposed rule is the need to revisit existing auditing methods for disclosures of protected health information. The proposed rule requires... Continue Reading