One major part of complying with HIPAA is conducting a risk assessment, and a new release from federal agencies gives you a fresh tool to perform an internal security risk assessment (SRA).
On June 14, OCR announced version 3.3 of the HHS Security Risk Assessment Tool. According to OCR officials, this tool is designed to aid small and medium providers in their efforts to assess security risks. The revamped tool contains a slate of new features, including Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP) references, file association in Microsoft Windows, improved reports, and other bug fixes and stability improvements.
In 2021, the elements used to determine E/M leveling for office or outpatient visits changed to primarily focus on medical decision-making (MDM) and time. Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the same formula applies to facility-based E/M services: history and exam will no longer be used to select the level of code for hospital inpatients, observation care visits, consultations, ED visits, and nursing facility services along with home, rest home and domiciliary services.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s Business Healthcare Technology program prepares graduates not only to help combat a nationwide shortage of medical coders but also to provide data that will influence medical protocols and patient outcomes.
Effective Nov. 1, Great River Health's medical coding will be outsourced to another company, impacting 35 employees between the health system's West Burlington and Fort Madison hospitals.
When Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, signed onto Senate Bill 2122 in Texas’ last legislative session in 2021, he said he thought it was a “very common sense” and “simple” way to protect patients and their finances.
CDI audits are crucial to helping staff keep up with changing guidelines and best practices. Use these tips to turn audits into a powerful teaching tool.