Tag: human-services
-
HHS to provide more HIPAA guidance to covered entities
On the heels of concerns that many healthcare providers misunderstand HIPAA, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services plans to offer guidance and technical assistance to covered entities and business associates with concerns about the recently updated omnibus rule. read more
-
OCR: Healthcare organizations unaware of privacy regulations
Recent HIPAA audits of provider and payer organizations conducted by contractor KPMG on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services determined that many in the industry don’t know which privacy regulations apply to them. read more
-
HHS seeks to amend HIPAA to strengthen background checks
Though a Senate bill to expand background checks on firearms sales was defeated last week, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is examining how HIPAA regulations may keep states from reporting dangerous mental patients to a database used in background checks. read more
-
Washington Debrief: Sebelius Responds to GOP Senators on HITECH Criticism
Six Senators sent letters to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and health IT stakeholders questioning the effectiveness of HITECH implementation. In response to the report, Secretary Sebelius said, “We haven’t gotten to implementation of Stage 2 yet,” Sebelius said in a recent Senate Finance Committee budget hearing. “You might be reading the final chapter before we…
-
CHIME urges feds to apply existing policies to HIE acceleration
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives believes that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services should extend processes developed under the eRx and Electronic Health Record Incentive Payment programs to accelerate and improve health information exchange and interoperability among providers. read more
-
CMS oversight of health plan website subpar
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has done a poor job overseeing its “Plan Finder” website, created to aid consumers in their search for appropriate medical coverage, according to a report unveiled this week by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General. read more
-
Sequestration could delay ONC security, privacy projects
Sequester cuts, starting Monday, will take a $3 million bite from the $60 million annual budget of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. While the Office for Civil Rights, the unit within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services responsible for HIPAA enforcement, has yet to determine the impact on its budget,…
-
Arkansas report finds little additional federal costs would result from state’s ‘private option’ for Medicaid expansion
The report, issued by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, found that the plan would add less than 15 percent to federal health care costs in the state.