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HITECH / HIPAA Newsletter March 2012



HITECH Act Compliance is a Team Sport:  Is your team HITECH ready?
 March 2012 Issue No. 27
In this Issue
Products now available in the HSG Store
HIPAA Compliance: Introducing the H2 Compliance Scorecard
In the News

OIG continues to announce fraud enforcement actions at what appearsto be an alarming rate.

______________________ 

 

 February 3, 2012:

U.S. Department of Justice

Louisiana Medical Equipment Company 

Owner Pleads Guilty in $21 Million Fraud 

Scheme

Attorney; Southern District of Texas

Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty to 

Conspiring to Commit Health Care Fraud

 

February 2, 2012: 

 

U.S. Department of Justice

Rehabilitation Agency Owner in Detroit 

Found Guilty for Role in $2 Million Therapy

 Fraud Scheme

February 2, 2012; U.S. Attorney; 

Southern District of Texas

DME Business Owner Lands in Federal 

Prison for 10 Years for Health Care Fraud 

and Identity Theft Scheme

 

January 31, 2012:

 

U.S. Department of Justice

Patient Recruiter Pleads Guilty in Louisiana 

Health Care Fraud Scheme   

U.S. Attorney; Middle District of Pennsylvania

Former Penn State Professor Charged in 

$3 Million Federal Research Grant Fraud 

  

_______________________ 

State Enforcement Actions 
Updated

 
HITECH Switch OnProducts now available in the HSG Store. 
We are also pleased to announce our Combo Package which includes:  
  1. Business Associate Agreement: HITECH Ready Model Contract 
  2. Breach Notification Framework 
  3. Breach Notification Policy 
  4. The Security Rule Under HITECH: a Business Associate's Perspective 
Save over $100.00 off the retail price. 

Buy Now...  

HIPAA Breach Notification Framework 

Our HIPAA Breach Notification Framework walks you through the process of analyzing security incidents to determine what actions you must take to ensure your response complies with the HITECH Breach Notification requirements. The Framework discusses HITECH breach compliance in simple terms and uses twelve flowchart diagrams to help you navigate the process. It also includes tools and templates that help "jump start" your breach notification compliance initiative.

 

 Buy Now...  

 

Our HIPAA Breach Notification Policy 

This policy implements section 13402 of the HITECH Act which requires HIPAA covered entities and their business associates to provide notification following a breach of unsecured protected health information. The policy was derived from our HIPAA Breach Notification Framework and is included as a FREE gift that product. 

 

Buy Now...  


Business Associate Agreement: a HITECH Ready Model Contract

Our model Business Associate Agreement includes provisions that meet the requirements of HIPAA/HITECH and is fully annotated with links to the relevant statutory/regulatory authority that underpins each Contract clause. The Contract package also includes a complete "User's Guide," with a clause-by-clause explanation of the issues addressed in the Contract. 

Buy Now...

The Security Rule Under HITECH:
a Business Associate Perspective
First Edition

The most important step for building a "good SR compliance story" is for the business associate to get started. The approach in The Security Rule Under HITECH is to build the story iteratively over time. Most business associates (large or small) will likely need help in creating the story. The framework discussed throughout this document provides a good road map to follow.

Buy Now...

HIPAA Survival Guide Third Edition

The Third Edition of the HIPAA Survival Guide updates various substantive text of the first two editions and adds completely new material. The HITECH Act has indeed proven to be transformational. In order to deal more effectively with its changing regulatory landscape we have decided to release an updated version available here and on Amazon's Kindle platform.

Buy Now...

HIPAA Core Training Combo

This package includes the Breach Notification Simplified Training Module, the HIPAA Privacy Rule under HITECH Training Module, the HIPAA Security Rule Under HITECH  Training Module and the HITECH and HIPAA Compliant  Training Module all in one Combo Package.  Buy all 4 for a little more than than the price of 3

 Buy Now...
Quick Links
HIPAA Survival Guide Videos
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Other Resources

HIPAA Survival Guide Blog Talk Radio Overview
HIPAA Survival Guide Blog Talk Radio Overview
Business Associate Agreement
Business Associate Agreement
HITECH / HIPAA Core Training Modules Overview
HITECH / HIPAA Core Training Modules Overview

HSG Logo 
 
Dear Carlos,

Welcome to our March 2012 HITECH / HIPAA Compliance Newsletter.  

 

The featured article this month is entitled HIPAA Compliance: Introducing the H2 Compliance Scorecard.

 

This month's article is a follow-on article to our October 2011 article entitled: HITECH / HIPAA Compliance: a checklist manifesto? 

Our October article explored how checklists can be used as HITECH / HIPAA compliance tools. This month's article introduces our H2 Compliance Scorecardsm and how it can be used in combination with a checklist to measure compliance improvement over time.

 

 

 PRCLFrontPage The HIPAA Survival Guide is pleased to announce the release of our HIPAA Privacy Rule Checklist under HITECH. This product is now available on the HSG Store.

 

 

Webtones PointerFREE WEBINAR: HIPAA Compliance Checklist Manifesto 

 

This webinar explores how, in a world that is increasingly becoming more complex, where the volume of knowledge often exceeds an individual's ability to assimilate and communicate it, simple tools such as checklists are having a profound and compelling positive impact on dealing with complexity. In particular, this webinar explores how checklists can be used as HITECH / HIPAA compliance tools. The webinar will continue the discussion started in this Issue's article.

 

Date: March 8, 2012. 

Time: 2:00 to 3:30 EST. 

To register Click Here.  

  

Webtones PointerHIPAA Survival Guide Radio: Next Show

 

Our weekly radio show covers topics about how the HITECH Act is transforming HIPAA and: 1) exposure to industry thought leaders; 2) analysis of proposed and promulgated HHS/OCR rule making; and 3) a forum for sharing industry best practices. Here's the overview video. To participate via chat you will need to create a FREE Blog Talk Radio account. No account is necessary just to listen. Archived copies of shows will be made available.

 

To be reminded of upcoming radio shows Update Your Profile by selecting "HSG Radio Show Reminder."

 

Date: March 2, 2012. 

Time: 3:00 to 3:30 EST. 

To listen Click Here. 

 

HITECH / HIPAA Newsletter 
HSG Announcements
HSG LogoIn addition to our commercial-off-the-shelf training products, we now offer training customized for your organization through our partnership with the Digital Business Law Group. We recognize that some organizations, including business associates, have a need for HIPAA / HITECH training tailored to their specific needs (click here or on the image below to get more information).
 
HIPAA Training   

 

Our EHR Library remains one of our most popular downloads. Here you will find content that will help you select the right EHR package for your practice or facility and other useful EHR collateral.
 
HITECH Switch On  

 

Join the Conversation
The HIPAA Survival Group on LinkedIn continues to be the go to place for meaningful discussion of HITECH / HIPAA issues. You will find many industry thought leaders and insiders sharing their views on the evolving compliance landscape. 

Stay Connected
Want to stay updated throughout the month? Follow Carlos on Twitter by clicking on the badge below.  If you would like to read more regarding the authors' views on HIT and compliance click here and here and subscribe to their blogs.  
Twitter

Become a Fan
Follow us on FaceBook by becoming a fan of the HIPAA Survival Guide. Also, be sure to check out our HITECH Videos.




Advertising Opportunities
HSG is now welcoming advertisers to help support one of the most comprehensive and usable HITECH / HIPAA sites on the Internet. Our audience continues to grow as healthcare providers and business associates, both large and small, return to HSG again and again.
Main_Article
HIPAA Compliance: Introducing the H2 Compliance Scorecard.
Webtones PointerThis month's article is a follow-on article to our October 2011 article entitled: HITECH / HIPAA Compliance: a checklist manifesto? 

Our October article explored how: 

"in a world that is increasingly becoming more complex, where the volume of knowledge often exceeds an individual's ability to assimilate and communicate it, simple tools such as checklists are having a profound and compelling positive impact on dealing with complexity."   

In particular, it explored how checklists can be used as HITECH / HIPAA compliance tools. This month's article introduces our H2 Compliance Scorecardsm and how it can be used in combination with a checklist to measure compliance improvement over time. 

What is the H2 Compliance Scorecard?
HITECH / HIPAA NewsletterOur H2 Compliance Scorecardsm is a simple but powerful mechanism for reviewing your progress in Checklist completion/improvement. It works as follows:

1. Every checklist item ("Item") is given a completion score using the following statuses: 
  • M="Missing" which means that the Item has not been implemented and has a corresponding ordinal value of zero (0).
  • P="Planned" which means that the Item, although not implemented, has been identified on a project plan to be implemented and has a corresponding ordinal value of one (1).
  • B="Basic" which means that the Item has been implemented but in its most basic form and has a corresponding ordinal value of two (2).
  • F="Functional" which means that the Item has been implemented, the basic implementation has been improved upon, and has a corresponding ordinal value of three (3).
  •  E= "Excellent" which means that a functional implementation has been refined and/or remained stable over a period of six months or more and has a corresponding ordinal value of four (4).

2. You add up the scores on each applicable Item (not all Items are applicable to every organization) and multiply by the total number of applicable Items to arrive at a raw score.

 

3. You can track the raw score over time to measure your organization's compliance progress/improvement.

      

A "Real World" Example.

Key Contract SectionsHere's an example of how the Scorecard can be used.

Assume that a checklist has ten (10) checklist items ("Items"). Let's further assume that each Item has a status of "B" (implemented but Basic). The total Scorecard value would be twenty (20); which is 10 times the ordinal value associated with the status "B" (i.e. 2).

 

The maximum score that an organization could achieve in our hypothetical checklist is forty (40); which is 10 times the ordinal value associated with the status "E" (i.e. 4).
  

 

Read more...

 
About Us
HITECH Puzzles3Lions Publishing, Inc. is now the owner/operator of the HIPAA Survival Guide website and the official sponsor of this newsletter. Our mission is to bring you HITECH / HIPAA statutes and regulations in an easy to read and digestible format, products that help reduce the burden of compliance, and "news you can use" via our newsletter.

We take a partnering and collaborative approach to the marketplace. If you would like to see specific topics covered in this newsletter, or additional products, then please let us know.

Carlos Leyva, CEO
3Lions Publishing, Inc.
(800) 516-7903
 

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