Compliance

If you’re anything like us, you enjoyed kicking off the New Year with something fun. That usually means work parties, company get-togethers and other festivities. Workplaces have different cultures, and that means they have different ways to celebrate. If yours involves alcohol, it can lead to alcohol-related harm. As we head into 2019, it’s a great time to assess your workplace culture and how alcohol fits into that culture. Alcohol within the culture of a workplace has become the...

Being audited by a RAC or UPIC can be incredibly stressful for any health care provider, whether you’re a home medical equipment provider, a physical therapy practice, or a home health agency. Getting fined for billing errors that result in overpayment from an insurance carrier – Medicare or otherwise – can be downright frightful. There are stories galore about health care providers shutting their doors and closing up shop because they were found guilty and fined for receiving...

Large practices may have the resources for a larger and more complex risk mitigation plan in regards to HIPAA, but even a small practice can effectively manage their risk in house with the following tips – and do it cost effectively. It is important to be aware that PTs and PTAs must comply with HIPAA regulations. One of the top priorities at your practice should be to assess possible data breaches at every turn. HIPAA defines “breach” as the acquisition, access, use, or disclosure...

As of July 13, 2018, 46 states and the District of Columbia had passed laws legalizing the use of marijuana in some form or another - and these are changing seemingly by the day. With the complexity of issues surrounding marijuana use continuing to evolve, so too, do the issues facing employers with regards to medical marijuana use, off-duty use, and workplace drug policies including drug testing. It’s more important than ever for employers across all industries to become familiar with...

What is on the top of your board’s list of priorities?  Improved golf course conditions?  More energized member activities?  Stronger membership growth?  Extraordinary food and beverage services?  Enlightened leaders are increasingly placing improved governance at the top of their lists.  These leaders recognize that the path to achieving all other goals is strengthening the quality of the decisions that they make and that others make on behalf of the club…...

The primary concern for any clinic is the safety of all patients, therapists, and employees. By adhering to OSHA regulations, you can minimize the risk of injuries to everyone. Employee Safety Concerns More than 20 percent of PTs in the United States suffer from musculoskeletal disorders caused by constant lifting of and reaching for patients during treatment.  Not only are long-term injuries a risk, it's important to remember that an employee who sustains any injury while...

Being audited by a RAC or ZPIC can be incredibly stressful for any health care provider, whether you’re a home medical equipment provider, a physical therapy practice, or a home health agency. Getting fined for billing errors that result in overpayment from an insurance carrier – Medicare or otherwise – can be downright frightful. There are stories galore about health care providers shutting their doors and closing up shop because they were found guilty and fined for receiving...

Mr. Jones is a client of one of your members, Mrs. Smith, an attorney. Mrs. Smith invites Mr. Jones to lunch at your club to talk over a small business issue that Mr. Jones’ company is facing. Mrs. Smith arrives a few minutes before Mr. Jones and waits on the front porch of your club for her client to arrive. Mr. Jones’ car soon rolls up and Mr. Jones climbs out of the back seat accompanied by a beautiful golden Labrador, who you later find out is named Daisy, Mr. Jones’ service...

Do a quick search of recent HIPAA violations, and you’ll find headlines proclaiming multi-million dollar settlements for breaches resulting in the loss of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of patient records. Yes, it’s true that the health care industry is the number one target for cyberattacks, and you should use the technology and resources available to you in order to secure your patients’ data. However, there four other common violations that fail to make the headlines...

There are a number of good reasons to get and keep your business on track toward HIPAA compliance in 2018. For one, throughout 2017, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) issued more than $19 million in fines related to HIPAA violations. Compare that to fines in 2015 totaling approximately $6 million, and it becomes clear that businesses responsible for handling patient health information (PHI) need to be more diligent than ever.  Our affiliate company, The van Halem Group, points out...