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Regulatory Brief: Proposed Rule to Support Reproductive Health Privacy (April 2023)

Following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs, President Biden directed that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Trade Commission review existing laws and regulations for opportunities to further bolster reproductive healthcare. This regulatory brief explains the April 2023 NPRM that was released as part of this initiative.

If you have any questions or would like to better understand what this means for your organization, reach us at compliance@verisma.com.

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Verisma experts compile articles and resources pertinent to you and the world of HIM. Protect yourself from compliance risk by staying up-to-date.

In the News

September 27, 2023

Many hospitals have no automation to manage denials

RevCycle Intelligence | Sixty-two percent of hospital finance and revenue cycle leaders surveyed by health technology company AKASA said they don’t automate denials management, while 38% said they have implemented some automation for denials. Forty-four percent of respondents said they would automate some aspect of denials management this year and 32% said they would next year, but 24% said they do not have any plans to automate denials.

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September 27, 2023

Shutdown would disrupt but not halt federal health programs

KFF Health News | A shutdown of the federal government would not immediately affect health programs with mandatory spending, including Medicare and Medicaid, but programs funded through discretionary spending at the NIH, CDC and community health centers, as well as HIV/AIDS initiatives, may be disrupted. Federal staffers considered nonessential would be furloughed, including around 42% of HHS staff, which could disrupt initial Medicare enrollments and the Medicaid renewal process.

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September 14, 2023

Immediate access to diagnostic test results problematic for some

Becker’s Hospital Review | Since a 21st Century Cures Act requirement took effect mandating that patients have immediate access to their own diagnostic test results, some patients have misinterpreted the results or received them at inopportune times. Oncologist David Gerber says that patients have received cancer diagnoses during business meetings, and one patient’s spouse who misread CT scan results ended up in an emergency department with an anxiety attack. However, most EHRs don’t have an option to delay receipt of diagnostic test results.

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July 28, 2023

Hospital Price Transparency Rule Sees Only 36% of Hospitals in Compliance

Revenue Cycle Intelligence | Two and a half years in, most hospitals are still seemingly ignoring the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule, with only 36 percent of facilities fully complying. PatientRightsAdvocate.org’s latest review shows that only 721 hospitals are complying with the rule, while a staggering 1,279, or 64 percent, are not complying.

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July 27, 2023

Hospital Operators Collaborate on Standard Approach for Measuring Suppliers’ Cyber Defenses

Wall Street Journal | Third-party breaches, such as supply-chain attacks and direct compromises through vendors, are expensive for hospitals. Hospital operators are taking a hard line on how their vendors and suppliers secure their systems. A new guide details areas such as data handling practices and sample language for use in contracts with suppliers.

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July 6, 2023

Hospitals with Health Equity Factors Face Value-Based Penalties

revcycleintelligence.com | According to a new study, hospitals with more medically complex patients, uncompensated care, and patients who live alone are more likely to receive a penalty under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) value-based payment programs.

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July 5, 2023

COVID-19 Vaccine Compliance No Longer Required: Joint Commission

beckershospitalreview.com | Effective immediately, The Joint Commission will no longer require hospitals to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccine compliance, the commission announced July 5.

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July 5, 2023

OCR Reinforces Importance of Multi-Factor Authentication in Healthcare

HealthITSecurity.com | The HHS Office for Civil Rights reminds covered organizations that strong authentication practices can help prevent data breaches and that authentication is part of HIPAA compliance. Multifactor authentication can make it more difficult for a threat actor to infiltrate systems even if one factor is compromised due to additional requirements needed for access, the OCR says, and notes that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recommends phishing-resistant multifactor authentication. 

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Liz McElhiney
Elizabeth McElhiney, MHA, CHPS, CPHIMS, CRIS
Director of Compliance
Elizabeth is responsible for the administration of Verisma’s privacy and compliance programs, working with clients to implement evidence-based best practices, and overseeing Verisma’s thought leadership initiatives. She has worked in HIM and ROI for over 14 years covering all areas of the industry from customer service to compliance. She currently sits on the Illinois Health Information Management Association (ilhima.org) and serves as delegate to the AHIMA House of Delegates. She is also the current Secretary for AHIOS. Ms. McElhiney holds a B.A. in Political Science from Illinois Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in health administration with a specialization in Health Informatics from Capella University.

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