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Private health data was exposed through third-party tracking technology. Advocate Aurora Health recently notified the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights that it experienced a data breach on October 14. Advocate Aurora Health is a 26-hospital healthcare system in Wisconsin and Illinois with over 500 sites of care and $ 14 […]
The post Advocate Aurora Health Data Breach Affects 3 Million Patients appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
CMS clarifies immediate jeopardy, creates surveyor tool, and offers public online training. Revisions to the State Operations Manual (SOM 100-07), Appendix Q, are intended to help federal and state inspectors quickly identify violations of health and safety regulations. In a March 5 blog, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma said new […]
The post Revised Safety Guidance Affects All Healthcare Providers appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.
Twenty-three National Coverage Determinations (NCDs) for clinical diagnostic laboratory services have been updated to reflect the April 2018 quarterly release of the edit module for such services. ICD-10-CM codes in effect April 1 affect coverage for several common lab tests. Note ICD-10-CM Code Changes in Lab NCDs The following lab NCDs add/delete ICD-10-CM codes from the […]
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Recent wait time research by Vitals, a consumer physician-choice service, indicates the amount of time patients cool their heels in your waiting room is the most important factor in their overall experience at a doctor’s office. The overall wait time appears to affect a physician’s rating on Vitals’ database. Physicians with five stars had a 13 minute, 17 second […]
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A former employee of Portland, Oregon-based Northwest Primary Care (NWPC) allegedly stole the personal information of 5,372 patients. The employee accessed this information between April and December 2013, according to a statement released by NWPC. The incident went undetected for two years until law enforcement informed NWPC of the theft on October 13, 2015. NWPC notified the public on December 11, 2015. The former employee accessed patients’:
There is no evidence that the employee used or attempted to use the information, NWPC says. However, NWPC is offering affected patients identity theft protection services including identity recovery services, 12 months of credit monitoring, and a $ 1,000,000 insurance policy.
Reference and background checks are performed on all employees, and employees who work in highly sensitive positions, such as working with patient financial data, undergo additional background checks, NWPC says. Existing policies, procedures, and the employee code of conduct contain guidelines for accessing PHI and prohibit employees from inappropriately accessing or using PHI. NWPC is increasing its technology monitoring and employee training on accessing patient records in response to this incident. Additional technical safeguards will also be implemented to further protect PHI from theft or other criminal activity.
The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), enacted on April 16, 2015, extended Medicare administrative contractor (MAC) contract terms from five to 10 years. The legislation also requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish performance information on each MAC, to the extent that such information does not interfere with contract […]
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