Hospital Access Management 2003-07-01

Want to get a handle on denials? Use these components for best practice

In these times of dwindling health care reimbursement, theres no phrase more significant to access managers and their bosses than denial management.

Training, proper plan ID cut denials by $20 million

Looking at opportunities for improvement after becoming director of patient access at Childrens Health Care of Atlanta about two years ago, it was natural that Millie Brown would turn her attention to the quality of registration data.

Guest Column: Efficiency, not speed, counts most, experts say

Almost every aspect of health care has changed significantly over the last five years, let alone the past 30. Most of us can remember when protecting a patients privacy was an ethical issue for hospitals and physicians. Now its a matter of regulatory requirement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Looking for HIPAA help? Resource list may help

Being educated is the best defense when it comes to ensuring that your hospital is compliant with the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Access Feedback: ‘Free’ hospital needs help sending payment message

Nancy Stringer, director of patient access at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, MO, would like to know how other nonprofit hospitals deal with the impact of nearby for-profit providers that have much stricter patient payment policies.

News Briefs

JCAHO drafts standard for ED overcrowding; Hospitals picked for ED crowding program; Web site offers providers EDI implementation dates; CMS proposes its new Medicare payment rules; Ft. Lauderdale site of Sept. AAHAM conference; More hospitals permitting family during procedures; ED visits up 20% since 92,CDC says

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Surveys gauge current state of HIPAA compliance

Now that two significant HIPAA compliance deadlines have passed the April 14 deadline for health care industry compliance with the privacy rule and the April 16 deadline for health care business operations to begin testing transactions and code sets its time to take stock of how far along health care organizations really are when it comes to HIPAA compliance.

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Popular PC applications can cause security leaks

A report issued by Palisades Systems Inc. in Ames, IA, and Clive, IA-based HIPAA Academy, says that health care organizations that allow peer-to-peer (P2P) and instant messenger applications to run on their computer networks risk compromising patient health information and causing HIPAA privacy violations.

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Interim rule on monetary penalties to be replaced

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says its interim final rule establishing rules of procedure for the imposition of civil monetary penalties on entities that violate standards adopted under the administrative simplification provisions of HIPAA will not be in effect after Sept. 16, 2003, because it will be replaced by a final enforcement rule.

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: HIPAA affects ability to help law enforcement

When two police officers arrived at a hospital emergency department asking to be informed if the facility had treated an elderly woman reported missing by her family, hospital staff contacted their outside legal counsel for advice because of wariness about HIPAA privacy regulations. And its good they did.

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Company develops business associate agreement

One of the nations leading medical messaging services has taken the lead in developing a sound business associate agreement to present to its clients to fulfill HIPAA requirements.

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: WEDI seeks transaction and code set guidance

The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) has asked Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson to provide guidance in light of the fact that a substantial number of covered entities will not be able to achieve compliance with HIPAA Transaction and Code Set (TCS) standards by Oct. 16, 2003, as required under the Administrative Simplification Compliance Act.

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: Software can ease authorization process

As with many areas of health care, new approaches in technology have been sought to ease the way into compliance with HIPAA. One example is the HIPAA GUARD program from Monterey, CA-based Integritas Inc.

HIPAA Regulatory Alert: News Briefs

Companies seek URAC security accreditation; HIPAA.ICC.NET started to facilitate transmission

Hospital Access Management – July 1, 2003

July 1, 2003