By Kevin B. O’Reilly What’s the news: The AMA is urging House Republican and Democratic leaders to work together on a bipartisan basis to prevent arbitrary across-the-board Medicare cuts that threaten the financial viability of physician practices during the pandemic. The AMA supports the provisions of H.R. 1868, which would stop scheduled cuts totaling 6%. Why it’s…
The technology must be further developed and tested to improve hand hygiene compliance. By: Samara Rosenfeld The use of an electronic wearable device did not change hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers, according to the findings of a new study. Still, the technology increased the duration of hand rubbing and the volume of alcohol-based handrub…
In collaboration with IBM Watson Health Although the deadline to meet federal price transparency requirements has passed, many U.S. hospitals are still working to ensure compliance with the regulation. To comply with the price transparency rule, which took effect Jan. 1, hospitals must publicize privately negotiated, payer-specific rates online. Hospitals must post a machine-readable file with…
By Robert Snell McLaren Health Care Corp. agreed Tuesday to pay a record $7.75 million penalty to settle a federal investigation into officials distributing opioids and other drugs without prescriptions, the largest amount in U.S. history involving allegations of drug diversion. The penalty settles a years-long investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration into whether…
While many covered entities and business associates met HIPAA-required breach notification compliance requirements, an OCR audit revealed a host of PHI security failures for most providers. By Jessica Davis The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights released an audit report on HIPAA compliance in the sector from 2016 to 2017 based…
By: Sarah K. diFrancesca On November 16, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) issued Special Fraud Alert: Speaker Programs (Fraud Alert) to “highlight the fraud and abuse risks associated with the offer, payment, solicitation, or receipt of remuneration relating to speaker programs by pharmaceutical and medical device companies.”…
By Thomas Sullivan In mid-October 2020, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. (MMSI) agreed to pay $18 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute by paying kickbacks to physicians and hospitals to induce the use of MMSI products. As we covered in our September 2020 issue of our sister…
Undocumented Filipino caregivers, South LA’s black neighborhoods and garment workers grapple with unequal toll of virus By: Sam Levin Lily has no health insurance, no doctor and no savings. The 57-year-old Los Angeles caregiver contracted coronavirus last month at work and survived after weeks of agony and isolation in her bedroom. Without access to healthcare,…
“Predictive algorithms that power these tools should be continually reviewed and refined, and supplemented by information such as socio-economic data, to help clinicians make the best-informed care decisions for each patient.” ARTICLE: Racial bias found in algorithm used to predict healthcare needs of millions of Americans BY: Harriet Alexander An algorithm used to predict the…
By CARRIE FLYNN and CHINYE IJELI Oleoresin capsicum spray, better known as pepper spray, is a chemical weapon made from concentrated chili pepper extracts. In addition to causing intense pain and irritation of the eyes, respiratory tract, and skin, pepper spray can cause corneal abrasions and, in rare instances, death. UpToDate, the clinical practice bible…