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Boost training, revise forms and ping vendors to avoid disruptions before E/M switchover

07/06/2020

Look to your office processes and fire up your staff training before the new E/M coding guidelines take effect Jan. 1, 2021. If everyone in the practice has plenty of time to prepare, you can help ensure a smooth switch to the new guidelines without disrupting your practice’s revenue cycle.

Prepare for closer HIPAA scrutiny of telehealth as states and practices cautiously reopen

07/06/2020

by: Roy Edroso

HHS’ provision of telehealth waivers gave providers a boost, but as states reopen the prospect looms of a return to the old ways. That’s notable from a compliance perspective, because the HIPAA enforcement discretion that lets you perform telehealth with consumer products is likely the first policy to snap back. Make sure you’re prepared for that to happen.

Implement key steps when reintroducing remote devices into the office setting

07/06/2020

by: Kevin Duffy

As the potential for a return to office nears, health care organizations — and businesses alike — must decide what makes the most sense given their circumstances. Specifically, health care organizations need to consider privacy and security protocol for both scenarios - workers continuing to handle protected health information (PHI) from a remote location and workers returning to the office with PHI on their portable devices.

Do Stark waivers cover your rent break? Only if the break meets ‘COVID-19 purposes.’

07/06/2020

by: Roy Edroso

Question: I understand there have been Stark Law waivers issued for the COVID-19 pandemic, and that one of the waivers covers rental arrangements that are under fair market value (FMV), which are usually forbidden under Stark. The shutdown has been hard on the finances of one of our clinics, and the health system that rents space to us, knowing it will be hard to find new tenants, has offered to forgive the rent on that clinic for a month or two to help it stay open. Would the Stark waivers allow such an arrangement?

Big cities like ACP, but together Texas and Florida towns make the most claims

07/06/2020

by: Roy Edroso

The chances you're doing advance care planning (ACP) — reflected in 30-minute code 99497 and 30-minute add-on 99498 — depend a lot on your location. While Florida, Texas and California have the most claims overall, the encounters are likely to go on longer when conducted in the outer boroughs and suburbs of New York.

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