We have gone over our books and looked at our labor growth over the last 6-7 years. Here is a summary of our situation. All numbers are based on billed services only. Costs of goods sold are NOT included in any of the numbers. Our average growth per year over the last 6-7 years is 48.62%. If we take out our best and worst years for growth then our average is 31.62% each year. We are currently on pace to easily hit $126,703.79 in labor for 2016. Our labor increased by 34.84% from 2015 to 2016. We just added two managed service clients this month. Now we have 20 managed services clients that add up to $120,720.96 per year. As you know this is the most valuable part of our business.…
The first thing that I noticed that was wrong in the video was when the two nurses in the elevator started talking about one of their patient's medical condition and the care of him. They mentioned him by name and even said his room number. This is a clear HIPAA violation of the privacy of personal health information. The next incident that I saw was when the two nurses accessed the medical record of a friend of theirs who is a patient. They abused their security privileges in order to log into and obtain private health information in the patient's medical record which is another HIPAA violation. I think this type of violation really concerns most people because it reveals how easily someone can gain unauthorized access to our private medical…
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), became law in 1996. It requires health care providers, insurance companies and others involved in health care transactions to provide security on any system containing personal health information, store and transmit that information according to standardized rules, and place an automatic audit on files to help keep track of who should have access to them and whether those access rules have been violated. HIPAA complaints and violations that aren't fixed quickly are subject to a fine of between $100 per incident or a maximum of $25,000 per year for violation of a specific rule.…
The HITECH Act’s purpose was to encourage the implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) and the necessary supporting technology of it in the United States. The HITECH Act promotes the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) by advancing the meaningful use of exchangeable electronic health records throughout the United States in order to improve the quality of health care. The meaningful use focuses on improving the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare, getting patients and their families involved in their health, improving patients’ coordination of care, and to ensure the proper privacy and security of personal health information. A doctor’s office that has complied with meaningful use and can show that they have upgraded…
The Act encourages prompt EHR system adoption for physicians through providing them financial benefits in terms of incentives. Physicians who are meaningful EHR system users are eligible for Medicare incentive payments from 2011 to 2015, an amount that can reach 75% more than what they charge with a cap of $18,000 for 2011 and 2012. Having more Medicaid patients and servicing in “health professional shortage areas” will result to additional incentives too.…
Over the years since the inception of HIPAA, it is hard not to notice the influence it brought on to the patients, the healthcare industry, the health information management and technology, and other entities in securing the confidentiality, security, and privacy of PHI. In addition, the HITECH Act and its HIPAA modification released in January 2013 greatly invigorated the HIPAA of 1996 (Solove, 2013). Definitely, the most important health care changes over the past couple of decades is the growing interest in health information privacy and security (Solove, 2013).…
HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), was passed in 1996. HIPPA has five purposes: to improve portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in the group and individual markets; to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health care delivery; to promote the use of medical savings accounts; to improve access to long-term care services and coverage; and to simplify the administration of health insurance and for other purposes. HIPPA accomplish these purposes by including a series of “administrative simplification” (AS) provisions that required the DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) to adopt national standards for electronic health care transactions. The provisions called for an establishment of standards related to EDI (electronic data interchange) of specific administrative and financial transactions, while still protecting the security and privacy of transmitted information. AS, also, includes standards for transactions and code sets, unique identifies, security and electronic signature, and privacy and confidentiality (Healthcare Informatics: An Interdisciplinary Approach (2002)).…
First enforcement action resulting from HITECH ACT is the Breach Notification Rule. A HIPPA rule that requires HIPAA covered entities (CE) and their business associates (BA) to provide notification following a breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI) (HHSwebsite). CE and BA must notify U.S department of Health and Human Services (HHS), some situations the media, and all individuals whose PHI has been breached (hhswebsite). Plus, all notifications must be made no later than 60 days after the discovery of the breach (bok). So, what is a Breach? Under HIPAA, a breach is defined as “the unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure of an unsecured PHI which compromises the security or privacy of PHI” (healthlaw). In order to determine…
The Heath Insurance portability Act (HIPPA) of 1996 is a law designed to protect a patients personal and health information from being disclosed, it allows patients great access and control to his or her information, enhances health care, and creates a national framework for health privacy protection. Everyone in the health care business should be aware of the HIPAA law to protect the privacy and confidentiality of anyone who may be cared for in the facility. The patient must also sign and acknowledge the HIPPA privacy statement that is usually received during visits and prescription pickups. HIPAA protects the patient’s medical and personal information from being released to other staff members in a social manner, the patients workplace unless under workman’s comp, and not released to anyone who is not involved in the patients visit. HIPAA is a very important rule when it comes to HIV and AIDS this disease must be handled in a more sensitive manner than other diseases and HIPAA should protect the patient’s information from entering in the wrong hands. HIV and AIDS do have a large amount of stigma, misconception, and discrimination it can cause many problems for patients diagnosed and there information has been leaked. HIV and AIDS is a very touchy subject amongst many people. This disease is one that a person will most likely not recover from as well as a disease that is deadly if not treated. The HIPAA confidentiality is important for the patients who do not want others to know they have the disease. HIV and AIDS is often a lifestyle disease which some people may look at differently than others or may look down on them. Because HIV and AIDS are usually transmitted through sexual intercourse, semen, vaginal discharge, blood, and drug use some people may think this is bad behavior on that person’s part. HIPAA protects the patient’s personal information and protects his or her medical information such as diagnosis, treatments,…
2009. HITECH is a stimulus package approved by the US government allowing $19 billion dollars to be divided between hospitals and doctors “ who demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic medical records”(ARRA HITECH Solutions, 2015). She knows that the best way to select…
Tennile, I like your point of you never know who is within earshot or in eyes view so it is important to always protect the privacy and security of patients' medical information. I think the video shows just how easily HIPAA violations can occur causing a patient's private information to be exposed. Personal health information can be either spoken, written, or in electronic form. Medical professionals need to always remember that it is a mandatory federal law that it is kept private and secure. I think that all healthcare professionals should be dedicated to securing its protection.…
The protection and privacy of HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) which became law in ,1996. Subtitle F of Title II of HIPAA, entitled "Administrative Simplification, "requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to adopt national standards for certain information- related activities of the health care industry. This law works to make the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system by mandating the development of standards and requirements to enable the electronic exchange of certain health information. Section 262 of subtitle F added a new Part C to Title XI of the Act. Part C (42 U.S.C. 1320d - 1320d-8) requires the Secretary to adopt national transactions, such as code sets and certain unique health identifiers. Recognizing that the industry trend toward computerizing health information, which HIPAA encourages, may increase access to that information, the statute also requires national standards to protect the security and privacy of the information." The Privacy Rule is defined as "HIPAA Privacy the Protections and privacy of all health information." HIPAA.101.com: the rules, (2006, ¶HIPAA Security Rule, this rule "mandates the security of Electronic medical records (EMR). This rule addresses the technical aspects of protecting electronic health files." HIPAA.101.com: HIPAA: the rules (2006:¶ 3).…
HIPAA came into place “to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), Public Law 104-191, included Administrative Simplification provisions that required HHS to adopt national standards for electronic health care transactions and code sets, unique health identifiers, and security.” (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) Then after getting all the policy and procedures into place it became effective in February of 2003. The HIPAA policies help to protect all parties in the medical field including the patients and physicians.…
HIPAA is complex; however, many of the provisions are relevant to scheduling patient appointments for physician’s offices. First, HIPAA applies to healthcare organizations that transmit protected health information (PHI) and it applies to the business associates, which refers to anyone who is involved in processing PHI, such as a scheduler (Iron Mountain, 2015). Under HIPAA, it is illegal to access to PHI, other than for reasons relating to the delivery of health care. Furthermore, HIPAA laws impose strict controls on covered entities that must comply with its regulations or face penalties for the violation.…
A HIPAA violation is extremely serious violation. The failure to comply with HIPAA can result in civil and criminal penalties. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has a choice in determining the amount of the penalty based on the nature and extent of the violation and the nature and extent of the harm done from the violation. The HHS is still forbidden from imposing civil penalties, except in cases of willful neglect.…