The end of 2019 is close, and you know what that means! It’s time to take a look at the biggest stories in healthcare news and policy from the last three months. We’ve also included a couple of educational resources to keep on your radar to help you get ready for the new year.
NEWS UPDATES
Medicare Improper Payment Rate Lowers in 2019
In November, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the improper payment rate for Medicare was the lowest it has been since 2010. For Medicaid and CHIP, this rate went up in 2019.
CRM Solutions Improves Elder Care at Maplewood Nursing Home
The Maplewood, a family-owned, private nursing facility located in Webster, New York, leveraged a customer relationship management (CRM) solution to support their organization. They currently use their CRM to schedule activities, personalize family and volunteer visits, measure and analyze behaviors, and engage family members.
Indiana Hospital System Notifies Patients After Data Breach
Methodist Hospitals in Northwestern Indiana warned over 68,000 patients that their personal information, including Social Security numbers and health records, may have been exposed during a data breach.
Read More: Learn why AdventHealth hospital system turned to Formstack after a data breach to boost security.
Amazon Launches Amazon Care
Amazon is currently piloting a new healthcare service offering for employees in the Seattle area. Amazon Care includes both virtual and in-person care—with telemedicine via an app, chat, and remote video—as well as in-person prescription drug delivery.
POLICY UPDATES
Trump Administration Announces Historic Price Transparency Requirements
In November 2019, the Trump Administration announced new price transparency requirements aimed at increasing competition and lowering healthcare costs for Americans. These rules, called the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) for Hospitals to Make standard Charges Public, will go into effect in 2020.
CMS Will Cracksdown on Nursing Home Inspectors
In Q4, CMS announced it will instruct state inspectors to identify nursing homes where payroll records indicate low weekend staffing or hours operated without a registered nurse during inspections. “Since nurse staffing is directly related to the quality of care that residents experience, CMS is very concerned about the risk to resident health and safety that these situations may present,” the agency said.
RESOURCES
[WEBINAR] Fulfilling the Quadruple Aim with Clinician Centric Ergonomics
This webinar will address how the ergonomics of medical carts and workstations directly affects caregivers, including how new stressors like "power anxiety" can add to the frustrations clinicians have about losing power in the middle of clinical decision settings.
[WEBINAR] Should Your Business Be HIPAA Compliant?
If your business is handling PHI, you likely need to be HIPAA compliant. Formstack is hosting a webinar to share how businesses like yours can gather data, create documents, and collect signatures while keeping PHI secure.
[GUIDE] Definitive Guide (2019) to HIPAA Security Rule + Checklist
Arkenea has put together a digestible list of what it means to be HIPAA compliant in 2019. Help your team avoid hefty fines by ensuring you have the right technical safeguards in place using this checklist.
Learn more about Formstack’s HIPAA compliance by reviewing our HIPAA security page.
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