In this time where so much is riding on diagnostic testing, labs face the imperative of safeguarding their employees against risks of COVID-19 infection. Here’s a quick overview of the applicable laws … [Read more...]
Compliance Perspectives
A 5-Step Game Plan for Protecting Lab Employees from COVID-19 Infection
April 2, 2020
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...]
ANTI-KICKBACK
Compliance Perspectives: 5 Ways to Avoid Kickback Risks When Placing Phlebotomists in Ordering Physician’s Offices
December 12, 2019
It’s not uncommon for labs to place a phlebotomist in a physician’s office to collect and process samples for testing. While not strictly illegal, this practice raises bright red flags under kickback … [Read more...]
HIPPA
Compliance Perspectives: Using Document Management Systems to Avoid HIPAA Pitfalls
October 30, 2019
By Andreas Rivera bio One of the most challenging aspects of HIPAA compliance is ensuring that your methods of storing lab records containing protected health information (PHI) meet all of the … [Read more...]
Anti-Kickback
Special Report: Long Awaited Kickback Relief Rules Keep Labs in the Cold
October 22, 2019
They’re finally here! After years of talking about adapting the decades-old kickback laws to modern medical market conditions, CMS and OIG proposed new rules (the Proposal) on Oct. 9, 2019. Whether it … [Read more...]
You Make the Call: Does Lab Manager Have a Valid Claim for Age Discrimination?
October 17, 2019
What’s At Stake As lab manager involved in personnel decisions, you have a responsibility to ensure your lab complies with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which bans taking … [Read more...]
Compliance Perspectives: Avoid HIPAA Violations When Denying Patient Requests to Amend PHI
October 17, 2019
On Sept. 9, 2019, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the agency that enforces HIPAA rules, announced that it had done something it has never done before: settle an enforcement action for not … [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...]
CYBERSECURITY
Compliance Perspectives: Complying with HIPAA Isn’t Enough to Manage Data Breach Liability Risks
August 5, 2019
Memo to lab managers and compliance officers: It may be time to rethink your data breach response strategy. This directive is the result not of any substantive changes to the HIPAA rules but rather to … [Read more...]
ENFORCEMENT
Compliance Perspectives: Feds Using Medicare Laws to Prosecute Non-Medicare Arrangements
July 28, 2019
Myth: Risk of federal prosecution for health fraud and abuse applies only when you deal with Medicare, TRICARE or other federal health programs. Truth: While that used to be true, the times they are … [Read more...]
