While not an OSHA obligation, it’s highly advisable to take measures to protect the health and safety of telecommuting lab employees who work from home. How? By having employees seeking approval to … [Read more...]
Quiz
Can Racial Discrimination Be Proven with Circumstantial Evidence Alone?
September 4, 2020
SITUATION An equipment repair technician who also happens to be the lab’s only African American employee endures racial abuse at the hands of his supervisor and co-workers. He complains to … [Read more...]
Compliance Alert
Be Sure You Can Document Medical Necessity of COVID-19 ‘Add-On Tests’
August 4, 2020
Memo to Lab Compliance Managers: Brace yourself for what may become the next big federal false billing crackdown against labs, specifically labs performing COVID-19 tests. The OIG has let it be known … [Read more...]
Quiz
Can Lab Give Medical Group Free Telehealth Equipment for Non-COVID Treatment and Diagnosis?
July 29, 2020
SITUATION A local physician group in an underserved rural community wants to establish a telehealth capacity enabling it to examine and treat elderly patients who are observing social distancing or … [Read more...]
Compliance Perspectives: New Laws & the Top 5 Challenges Lab Compliance Officers Face in 2020
January 2, 2020
Labs remain at the forefront of the federal government’s suspicious persons list and health care fraud enforcement agenda. But in addition to the customary laws that labs are used to, the government … [Read more...]
PAMA
Explaining the Legal News: Why ACLA Court Win Boosts Chances of PAMA Pricing Relief
September 10, 2019
By now, you've no doubt heard the news that the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) "won" its lawsuit against CMS over PAMA lab pricing. Only it's not as simple as that. The favorable US … [Read more...]
COMPLIANCE
Compliance Perspectives: What to Do When Respiratory Safety & Religious Rights Collide
August 26, 2019
THE SCENARIO A lab requires all employees who work with or near materials emitting toxic vapors to wear respirators with tight-fitting facepieces. Since facial hear interferes with a tight seal, … [Read more...]
Compliance Heads Up: New Kickback Safe Harbors Rule Is Almost Ready
June 25, 2019
After months of promises, posturing and public consultation, the Department of Health and Human Services is getting ready to unveil a proposed rule to liberate labs and other providers from the … [Read more...]
LAB SAFETY
Changes in hazardous waste management: the Generator Improvement Rule
June 3, 2019
By Dan Scungio, MT (ASCP), SLS, CQA (ASQ) bio If you haven't heard by now, you should know that the EPA published its Generator Improvement Rule (GIR) in 2016. It is an update to the … [Read more...]
