In an attempt to keep government accountable for its actions, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made available a web-based tool for the public to monitor and measure how the healthcare system performs.
Most of the major payment changes to the healthcare industry—those that could substantially realign incentives, reduce costs and help drive delivery system reform—are associated with various pilot projects or other initiatives that will come out of the Innovation Center at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according to Gail R. Wilensky, PhD, senior fellow at Project HOPE, a global health education and humanitarian assistance organization.
Every day, approximately one in every 20 patients has an infection related to the patient’s hospital care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency has released an updated National Action Plan to reduce healthcare-associated infections for public comment.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has alerted the FDA that, if the agency is to bring its IT environment up to snuff, it needs to take three essential steps: develop a comprehensive inventory of its IT systems, implement an integrated master schedule for a particular modernization effort already underway and identify opportunities to get better at sharing data with internal and external partners.
Phoenix Cardiac Surgery of Phoenix and Prescott, Ariz., has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a $100,000 settlement and take corrective action to implement policies and procedures to safeguard the protected health information of its patients.
The role of privacy officer has changed since it was mandated in 2003 by HIPAA. New regulations, technology and data-sharing initiatives have reshaped the landscape, according to Chris Dimick, staff writer for
Journal of AHIMA, who outlined the new role of the privacy officer in the April edition.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced a proposed rule that would establish a unique health plan identifier under HIPAA. The proposed rule also delays required compliance by one year—from Oct. 1, 2013, to Oct. 1, 2014—for new codes used to classify diseases and health problems.
Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Herb Kohl, D-Wis., authors of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, have outlined substantive points to guide federal implementation of the act. Grassley and Kohl wrote to the Acting Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner with their points and also asked questions about when CMS will begin data collection.
Coming from the General Accounting Office (GAO), the title says it all: “FDA Has Met Most Performance Goals but Device Reviews Are Taking Longer.”
Policymakers should begin planning now for ways to make the coming transition to ICD-11 as tolerable as possible for the healthcare and payment community, according to an article in the March edition of Health Affairs.
The Supreme Court justices and orators on behalf of
Department of Health and Human Services v Florida parties laced up their debating gloves as they entered into the second day of oral arguments on the case of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
The wait is over! The Supreme Court launched its oral argument marathon on Monday to hear the case on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).
Since agreeing in November 2011 to consider several constitutionality issues relating to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments March 26-28 on cases against the legislation. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation released a report in January explaining the issues raised by the cases pending before the Supreme Court and considered the potential effects of the court’s decisions.
The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) has submitted the latest ICD-10 industry readiness survey results to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. WEDI’s report revealed that many of U.S. healthcare providers are not on track to meet the October 2013 compliance date.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services $1.5 million to settle potential violations of the HIPAA privacy and security rules.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has released policies to assist states in building Affordable Insurance Exchanges. Starting in 2014, these one-stop marketplaces will allow consumers and small businesses to choose a private health insurance plan and offer the public the same kinds of insurance choices as members of Congress.
Todd Park has been appointed Assistant to the President and U.S. Chief Technology Officer (CTO), filling a vacancy created by last month’s departure of Aneesh Chopra, the first CTO nationwide.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced at the 2012 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference that the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for Stage 2 of its EHR Incentive Program was filed to the Office of the Federal Register. With the NPRM set to be published on March 7 in the
Federal Register with a 60-day comment period, Erica Drazen, ScD, managing director, Global Institute for Emerging Healthcare Practices of CSC, in an interview, made recommendations for eligible providers to consider as they continue their meaningful use journey.
LAS VEGAS—As providers use social media more and more, there are certain legal liabilities that they need to consider. However, a well-defined policy may help clarify for hospital employees what is permitted facility-wide, according to a Feb. 22 presentation at the 2012 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference.
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen G. Sebelius has announced that HHS will initiate a process to postpone the date by which certain healthcare entities have to comply with ICD-10.
