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

07/06/2020

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.

Has telehealth’s boom peaked? Lawmakers eye fixes, as providers wrestle with the unknown

06/29/2020

by: Roy Edroso

As many regions are reopening and returning to sense of normalcy, providers are forced to reckon with a regulatory issue that could have a significant impact on day-to-day operations: The telehealth freedoms empowered by emergency waivers may go away, or they could be curtailed, without legislative action.

Prepare for 9 ways time-based E/M rules will change the way you code

06/29/2020

by: Julia Kyles, CPC

Use a chart to show staff how the new rules for time-based office visits will affect a variety of E/M guidelines next year. Doing so now will smooth your transition to the new rules and help your practice decide if time-based coding is a good fit before the changes go into effect Jan. 1, 2021.

Patients who get a COVID-19 test, and nothing more, stay ‘new’ for next visit

06/29/2020

by: Roy Edroso

Question: We’ve been running a clinic for COVID-19 tests where patients fill out forms and get tested. Some patients come back to the office for their results and sometimes, especially if the results are positive, they see the doctor. Are they a “new” patient at that point? Or are they established?

Privacy watch: Know the rules before you share children’s medical records

06/29/2020

by: Marla Durben Hirsch

Review how you handle requests from parents who want to access their children’s medical records. The rules regarding these requests are more complicated than a direct request by a patient.

10 strategies for handling requests to access a child’s records

06/29/2020

by: Marla Durben Hirsch

Physician practices can expect fines and enforcement if they’re slow to respond to their patients’ requests for records. But compliance is particularly confusing when a parent wants access to a child’s medical records. For instance, under HIPAA a parent may not access a minor’s records under certain circumstances, but HIPAA may be overridden by other applicable laws.

As use slows, revenue also falls for home visit service codes 99341-99350

06/29/2020

by: Richard Scott

While Medicare has made it easier to provide home visits, recent claims data reveal a decreasing preference to tap into the series of nine home visit services (99341-99350).

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