Healthicity Blog

HIPAA fines have been known to decimate an organization's finances. Just this month, MD Anderson was slammed with a devastating $4.3 million fine for violating the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules by failing to encrypt many of its devices. 

Are you ready for the HCCA's Compliance Institute? This year it’s April 15-18 in Las Vegas and I could not be more excited. I mean, I could, but I don’t think Nevada is ready for that level of enthusiasm.

It’s not uncommon for organizations to create a compliance program, brush the dust off of their hands and go, “There! Finished!” and leave things that way for eternity.

According to a recent post on Justice.gov, “A Detroit, Michigan-area doctor was sentenced to 72 months in prison today for his role in a $10.4 million conspiracy to defraud the Medicare program.”

You probably already know that Auditing and Monitoring is one of the seven elements of an effective compliance program. But did you know that it’s so important the OIG considers it to be key for maintaining compliance?

An organization that fails to create and maintain an effective compliance program could be forced to return overpayments. And providers may face severe civil, criminal, and financial penalties.

There are a lot of great tools on the market nowadays that can make your workday a lot easier. Investing in the right tools frees up a lot of your time to work on compliance issues. Instead of spending your time tracking down emails and sign in sheets.

If you’re anything like me, you are really looking forward to the HCCA’s annual Compliance Institute this month in National Harbor, MD. In addition to seeing colleagues and networking, it’s a great place to hear multiple perspectives on healthcare compliance.