Newsletter February 2013
Greetings!
On January 17, 2013, a very important new piece of legislation was finalized. There are now new rules and regulations that make significant changes to the HIPAA Privacy and Security act and HITECH. This was titled Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, enforcement and Breach Notification Rules under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act . These new rules and regulations affect both healthcare providers and businesses which offer health insurance to their employees. Some of those changes are a new risk analysis must be done, along with several changes in policies and procedures along with sweeping differences in how Business Associates are treated.
The rule becomes effective on March 26 and compliance is required by September 23.
Time is of the essence. Health care providers’ and businesses’ policies and procedures must be revised and their workforce trained with changes. Entities must also demonstrate with documentation compliance with the final rules. New Business Associate Agreements must be drafted and signed.
We at Karen McKeithen Schaede Attorney at Law, PLLC are experts in HIPAA and HITECH. Because of our knowledge and skill, we are able to provide you with all required changes and updates to protect your business. We can provide all aspects of compliance, including drafting policies and training staff.
Contact our office to schedule a risk assessment. We look forward to working with you.
Sincerely,
Karen McKeithen Schaede Attorney at Law, PLLC
ICD-10: The Time to Prepare is Now
The implementation date for ICD-10 has been pushed back for the last time. On October 1, 2014, the new set of codes will go into effect. While that seems like a long time away, the time to prepare is now. Anything less can have a major impact on your revenue. With so many moving parts in a practice that are affected by this change, waiting until the last minute to prepare is not a viable option. Below are the proper steps to ensure that your practice is ready for the change to ICD-10.
Understanding the Legal Issues of Unpaid Interns
In the last few years companies have looked for ways to maximize their employees in a cost effective manner. Why not hire interns to work for free? While it seems like a no-brainer, having an intern is more complicated than many employers understand. Not just any for-profit company can legally have unpaid interns. Legal criteria exist to protect interns from being “grunt workers” for free. There are several things to think about before you start advertising for interns.