Where is all the Medicare Money going ?

1 A0427 2,136,227,065 4,997,698	ambulance 1
2 J0178 2,116,511,238 2,162,577	Eyelea injection
3 A0428 1,155,179,059 5,353,061	Ambulance 2
4 A0425 1,106,302,957 140,625,619	Ambulance3
5 A0429 1,086,634,689 2,966,610	Ambulance4
6 J2778 1,026,690,084 2,671,197	Injection, ranibizumab, 0.1 mg
7 J9310 862,769,922 1,110,257	Injection, rituximab, 100 mg	$915	50 cents
8 J1745 859,560,386 10,560,672	Injection infliximab, 10 mg	$1,227	$260
9 E1390 840,611,695 8,228,938	Oxygen concentrator, single
10 J0897 698,682,861 44,212,232	Injection, denosumab, 1 mg	$1,186

https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/MedicareFeeforSvcPartsAB/Downloads/LEVEL2CHARG16.pdf

Top 200 Level 11 Current Terminology (HCPCS/CPT) Codes

Rank by

Charges

HCPCS

Code Allowed Charges Allowed Services

1 A0427 2,136,227,065 4,997,698

2 J0178 2,116,511,238 2,162,577

3 A0428 1,155,179,059 5,353,061

4 A0425 1,106,302,957 140,625,619

5 A0429 1,086,634,689 2,966,610

6 J2778 1,026,690,084 2,671,197

7 J9310 862,769,922 1,110,257

8 J1745 859,560,386 10,560,672

9 E1390 840,611,695 8,228,938

10 J0897 698,682,861 44,212,232

11 J2505 698,508,163 177,877

12 G0439 630,404,058 5,476,690

13 J9299 594,559,568 23,329,990

14 J9035 575,998,857 8,106,538

15 G6015 431,262,295 1,253,578

16 J0129 418,865,825 10,136,925

17 G0202 407,181,271 6,130,221

18 J9355 343,509,173 3,799,486

19 G0008 315,843,888 13,820,611

20 A0431 315,666,799 68,266

21 E0466 280,112,261 280,767

22 J9041 270,139,137 5,809,485

23 G0483 243,587,905 1,175,501

24 J9305 241,609,789 3,889,223

25 J9217 230,061,017 993,209

26 A4253 215,748,877 22,368,136

27 J7605 214,701,589 24,905,469

28 G0479 213,183,584 2,846,710

29 J0885 211,842,143 17,068,145

30 J0585 211,553,007 36,553,338

31 K0606 204,155,128 78,897

32 J0717 202,067,159 29,906,949

33 J7192 201,792,730 4,380,528

34 J7626 199,236,435 43,932,265

35 J1559 198,900,494 13,860,954

36 G0438 198,117,269 1,192,661

37 J7686 197,525,227 387,373

38 L0650 189,574,243 161,517

39 G0249 185,228,593 1,330,685

40 J2353 184,091,955 1,132,584

41 J3285 178,112,770 2,884,439

42 R0070 174,280,748 1,008,484

43 J0881 169,743,211 41,862,573

44 J9999 168,898,583 3,196,772

45 E0601 160,096,308 3,731,130

46 J1568 159,709,002 3,898,826

47 J2357 158,490,431 5,140,321

48 J2260 153,831,610 3,173,524

49 J1602 151,118,564 6,145,743

Rank by

Charges

HCPCS

Code Allowed Charges Allowed Services

50 J9264 145,132,002 14,418,741

51 J9047 144,074,340 4,553,674

52 Q2043 139,113,498 3,699

53 A9500 137,815,647 1,038,929

54 A4351 136,942,275 72,421,009

55 J3262 136,831,191 33,823,460

56 A7030 132,435,483 1,226,372

57 A0436 130,428,737 4,117,745

58 J2323 129,716,916 7,485,323

59 J7325 129,289,394 10,116,699

60 J9033 127,831,269 5,092,183

61 J1569 127,375,860 3,062,231

62 G0482 126,703,128 774,326

63 J2785 125,649,698 2,336,632

64 J7518 120,077,796 39,935,209

65 J9271 118,048,253 2,624,354

66 A4352 117,790,151 17,694,207

67 J1561 116,819,869 2,848,350

68 J9395 114,957,909 1,221,364

69 J2469 111,690,594 5,023,694

70 G6012 111,413,740 424,397

71 A7034 109,677,724 1,650,317

72 E0748 108,374,506 25,191

73 L1833 106,789,695 166,049

74 J9055 106,087,392 1,944,017

75 G0105 104,723,582 380,726

76 G0121 103,811,313 385,429

77 J2796 103,244,706 1,705,697

78 G0009 103,023,721 4,440,768

79 J7606 100,142,579 9,938,281

80 0191T 98,468,337 75,794

81 J9228 98,206,584 721,790

82 A0426 97,059,586 360,477

83 Q0513 95,338,801 2,889,513

84 J9306 92,815,375 8,839,429

85 B4197 90,917,448 285,091

86 J1300 90,665,327 419,281

87 A7031 88,841,130 2,177,616

88 J7324 87,331,398 534,027

89 G9678 84,101,643 526,996

90 E2402 82,433,857 98,938

91 J7507 78,559,839 98,583,739

92 G0283 77,772,735 7,358,514

93 A7032 76,729,639 3,423,026

94 J7189 75,202,733 347,421

95 G6013 74,413,798 289,875

96 G0481 73,788,580 613,212

97 E0431 72,721,582 3,530,312

98 E1007 71,972,452 9,471

99 J9025 71,884,768 24,816,091

100 G0402 71,783,075 448,335

Rank by

Charges

HCPCS

Code Allowed Charges Allowed Services

101 A9555 71,765,681 144,092

102 A5500 71,682,150 1,022,583

103 A0433 69,666,729 112,911

104 A0434 69,656,167 92,049

105 G0180 69,360,573 1,296,676

106 J7321 68,399,817 780,819

107 E0470 68,055,165 631,701

108 E0260 66,174,973 1,063,471

109 E0562 65,772,579 1,432,051

110 J7517 65,703,001 66,361,847

111 A9552 64,604,005 232,750

112 J7323 64,236,379 417,510

113 A9606 61,907,030 460,723

114 G0480 61,755,379 824,844

115 G6002 59,667,188 1,472,211

116 P9603 59,017,004 63,747,866

117 E0465 57,732,891 57,372

118 J1439 55,243,849 52,392,026

119 L5673 54,286,608 78,142

120 A0430 53,400,651 12,508

121 B4035 52,693,550 8,265,358

122 L0648 52,535,073 54,329

123 A9502 52,509,366 489,160

124 J9308 52,433,644 959,215

125 E0784 52,290,960 151,280

126 A4353 52,238,292 6,788,663

127 A5513 51,330,976 1,203,601

128 J1442 50,968,134 50,819,204

129 G0204 50,909,269 632,343

130 J7308 50,727,261 162,162

131 G0206 50,637,529 808,136

132 J7198 49,941,221 61,695

133 G0416 49,930,413 144,399

134 K0861 49,905,677 9,742

135 Q4131 49,764,004 281,998

136 J3380 49,728,412 2,913,604

137 J7205 49,533,685 1,041,027

138 A7033 49,138,669 2,852,639

139 J9354 48,944,202 1,689,340

140 J3490 48,405,912 574,842

141 J7195 48,303,453 1,196,323

142 J0894 48,246,821 2,202,930

143 L5301 48,074,830 18,949

144 A5512 47,335,025 1,656,435

145 J9043 46,864,764 312,558

146 J0490 46,276,026 1,115,379

147 J1930 45,265,115 913,308

148 E0471 44,930,048 168,149

149 B4199 44,317,801 121,544

150 G0181 43,445,632 411,700

151 A6010 43,393,487 1,267,884

Rank by

Charges

HCPCS

Code Allowed Charges Allowed Services

152 Q0092 43,262,649 1,717,408

153 K0823 42,649,665 230,665

154 L5856 42,192,467 1,891

155 G0179 42,155,579 1,046,771

156 A7035 40,653,100 1,879,535

157 B4152 40,578,618 115,503,017

158 L5700 40,258,746 14,056

159 E0483 40,112,027 41,453

160 V2785 39,546,809 10,757

161 A4253 39,509,592 4,749,980

162 A4221 39,348,713 1,874,349

163 A4604 39,303,809 888,799

164 J7312 38,150,748 191,309

165 G0101 38,004,124 1,018,710

166 J7201 37,940,858 581,686

167 J9303 37,892,397 362,763

168 J1453 37,703,145 20,882,540

169 B4193 37,633,042 143,472

170 J0641 37,331,803 29,327,641

171 Q4074 37,102,903 317,623

172 J1575 37,096,707 2,240,182

173 A6021 36,729,371 1,584,583

174 E0143 36,668,577 633,304

175 J7327 36,606,615 39,839

176 A4407 35,421,910 3,669,745

177 K0738 34,979,169 835,228

178 L4361 34,845,626 131,191

179 J0775 34,824,965 882,656

180 A7038 33,680,380 13,205,325

181 J3590 33,661,499 356,493

182 L0637 33,638,187 27,548

183 E1392 33,612,733 802,585

184 J7527 33,395,178 4,404,922

185 K0001 33,323,031 1,388,123

186 J0878 33,094,287 38,629,865

187 J0202 32,532,087 18,903

188 G0103 32,280,913 1,290,701

189 A6197 32,179,306 1,778,438

190 J9301 32,071,435 578,934

191 J9070 31,977,827 722,367

192 R0075 31,818,789 449,015

193 L3960 31,665,982 44,452

194 B4154 31,403,391 42,241,296

195 A7037 30,327,695 1,799,806

196 A6212 30,319,026 2,837,828

197 L8030 30,139,128 93,955

198 Q2050 30,123,023 70,296

199 J7999 30,068,466 387,290

200 B4150 29,862,609 70,795,796

metamorphosis from book-smart medical student to barely competent physician

Before the metamorphosis from book-smart medical student to barely competent physician, a clinical encounter was far more stressful for me than for the indigent but brave patients assigned to my care.

The book of Joshua gives us death in a tight close-up

Joshua and the Israelites have been doing nothing but killing in this book—killing by the thousands, killing women, killing children, killing animals—but it is the death of these five men, who aren't even innocents, that inspires the most revulsion. There's an obvious reason for this, one Stalin understood: "A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic." All the other killings in Joshua are mass killings. This is the only time the book of Joshua gives us death in a tight close-up, and it's appalling.

Tests have side effects

Just like pharmaceuticals, all tests have side effects that go well

beyond their wallet toxicity. Intuitively, the more invasive tests such as

catheterizations, biopsies, or scopes of one sort or another, carry the greatest

v

likelihood of serious mishap.

tests beget

tests. An eighty-year-old man with a known aneurysm of his aorta, a widened

and weakened major artery that carries a risk of rupture and sudden

rapid death, is sent by his vascular surgeon for a CT scan of the abdomen.

The report from the radiologist indicates that the aneurysm is small and

stable. This is good news, but there is a little density in the right adrenal

gland that wasn’t there before—bad news, maybe. The radiologist concludes

his report by recommending that the patient undergo a repeat CT

scan at three months, and again at six months to ensure radiographic stability,

that is, to be sure that it is not a growing cancer, rather than a benign,

harmless growth called an adrenal adenoma. This sort of unexpected, or

incidental, finding is sometimes referred to as an incidentaloma (Mirilas

and Skandalakis 2002, 1026). The suffix-oma means “a mass,” so this neologism

means an incidentally noted mass lesion of uncertain significance.

It is not what we were looking for, but now it too commands our attention,

resulting in more CT scans with more radiation to the patient.

The problem of the incidentaloma highlights three negative aspects associated

with frequent utilization of diagnostic imaging. The first is that

the more you look, the more you find. The patient gets caught up in a

vortex of testing. The second is a potential pitfall in the reporting and

follow-up of test results.

“four weeks after a specific referral visit, 25% of primary

care physicians still had not received any information from specialists”

For example, I might say,

“Would you see Mrs. Jones, an eighty-five-year-old woman with declining

renal [kidney] function? She’s definitely not the sort of person who

would tolerate a kidney biopsy, and she’d never consider dialysis, but it

would be helpful if you just took a look at her for me.” A lot of information

about Mrs. Jones was thereby conveyed in a short but personal, casual

conversation

Fast-forward to today. The physician making rounds now carries on his

belt an electronic beeper, a cell phone or BlackBerry, and a PDA (personal

digital assistant) loaded with information. He is likely to be carrying a

Poly-Doctoring 85

laptop computer from bedside to bedside as well for record keeping. He

looks like some sort of commando from Mission Impossible. Yet, for all of

his telecom apparatus, he actually is communicating less effectively with

his peers than did his predecessors who made rounds before him.

Coalface and salt mines medical writing

Sourly, Preston gave her a dismissive nod and turned again to his two most hated chores; that pile of mail, and a list of reports that had to be written. He loves his work with its daily challenges of patients in severe pain, and the conditions that mystify clinicians of every ilk, but by Friday, exhaustion had set in. Working at the coalface, as he cheerily called his clinic on a Monday morning, had sunk to toiling at the salt mines.

Medical records retrieval and HIPPA a whole new industry on the back of Medicine

Medical records retrieval and  HIPPA a whole new industry due to paranoia and vanity of some patients.

Even before  the social media revolution which has made every Tom,Dick,Mary and Jane in to thinking they are some kind of celebrity, that the whole world is eager and dying to know what they ate for breakfast today or whether they broke up with  their lousy girl/ boyfriend .medical industry came up with this bugbear called HIPPA which sounds more hip than the original names of two dudes who dreamt up this, Kennedy-Kassebaum Bill. KKB sounds more like  KKK.(Ku Klux Klan)

The original intent was to help people carry their health insurance from one company to the next, as well as streamline the movement of medical records from one health care institution to another.

But then ( drum roll please)

In addition, HIPAA created a system to recognize and enforce the rights of patients to protect the privacy of their medical records.

HIPAA is a series of laws that have required healthcare organizations to invest time and money into training for strict compliance. As if we are not spending billions already on defensive medicine. Although this can be a lengthy and arduous effort for those in the healthcare industry, for patients it creates an additional level and sense of security.( about what ?)

Three decades ago!

The roots of HIPAA stem from the early 1990s when it first became apparent that the medical care industry would become more efficient by computerizing medical records.

In addition, the industry also needed new standards regarding the management of healthcare data.

These standards included rules regarding the portability of medical information as well as the establishment and protection of a patient’s right to medical privacy.There was also the issue of ensuring that people could keep their health care coverage when they left their jobs.

HIPAA, the law that resulted from efforts to address these concerns, was passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton.

While the law itself was passed in 1996, the actual details of the law were left to future specifications by Congress, as well as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

( isn’t this a wonderful way to enact laws? You pass  some "xyz" law and let a bunch of clueless  bureaucrats decide what the regulations should be under the law./ I wish there is such a facility in medicine where I can do a cholecystectomy on a normal gallbladder or an angioplasty on a 115-year-old’s coronary because in future they are going to develop cholecystitis or coronary artery disease)

bu·reau·crat

ˈbyo͝orəˌkrat/

noun

plural noun: bureaucrats

1. an official in a government department, in particular ,one perceived as being concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of people's needs.

The Privacy Rule was the first aspect of HIPAA to be finalized in 1999. Next came the Transaction and Code Sets Final Rule, in 2000, followed by the Security Rule and the National Provider Identifier, or Unique Identifiers, rule.

The Enforcement Rule specification was, as of 2006, the last part to be finalized in detail.

HIPAA Regulations

healthcare laws regulations impact electronic health records HIPAA is a series of regulations governing the transfer of medical information, particularly its modernization by implementing electronic medical record systems.

In addition, it also addresses the issues of health insurance portability and patient privacy rights.

The law is broken up into Title I and Title II, the latter of which is also broken up into separate Rules.

Title I is called “Health Care Access, Portability, and Renewability” and it deals with health care plans and policies. Title I regulates the amount of “exclusion” period, or time that health insurers can delay coverage for pre-existing conditions, and also allows ways for policyholders to reduce the exclusion period. Title I also enables people to carry their insurance from one job to the next.
Title II is called “Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse” and it is made up of five separate Rules: the Privacy Rule, Transactions and Code Sets Rule, Security Rule, Unique Identifiers or National Provider Rule, and the Enforcement Rule.
HIPAA Requirements for Compliance

To comply with HIPAA patient privacy regulations, there are a number of steps that health care providers and insurance companies must take.

The law requires that a company must have a HIPAA Compliance Officer who has taken a training course in compliance. This person will be the one who is ultimately responsible for staying on top of HIPAA requirements and ensuring that the organization is following the law.
Employees need to be kept up to date on policies that pertain to the organization. This may also require ongoing training for the staff.
HIPAA requires organizations to safeguard patient data against unauthorized access and disclosure. This involves implementing a number of security measures that are adequate to prevent physical and network-based intrusions.
In the event of a security breach, organizations are required by law to report the incident and to inform those patients and clients whose information may be affected.
HIPAA Complaints and Violations

In the event of a violation of the HIPAA law, patients are given options to file a complaint. This primarily involves contacting the Office for Civil Rights (OCR this is different  from the computer term ). The OCR has the authority to investigate allegations of violations and to enforce the law, particularly the Privacy Rule.

Affected parties are required to file a written and detailed complaint either on paper, through the U.S. Mail, via email or by fax within 180 days of the incident, although some deadline exceptions may be granted. HIPAA also forbids retaliation against, or harassment of, those who file complaints.

Punishments for HIPAA violations can include hefty fines, or in the case of willful or egregious violations, imprisonment. HIPAA allows for additional punishments to be administered at the state level.

For instance, California ( which is another  country with in a country just like the republic of texas) allows for additional fines, such as $250,000 for disclosure of a person’s medical information for financial gain, and also allows affected parties to file a civil lawsuit.

Medical Records Management

There are several electronic medical record systems that a practice can employ to comply with HIPAA laws and regulations.

computerize your  Electronic Medical Records(EMR) system ( sorry it is changed to  Electronic Health records EHR), always  difficult and Painful transition

EHR- converting paper records of  bad old doctors, who cared more about the patient, than their   recording of the details on paper. Medical Record Scanning

Medical record imaging process has to be  HIPAA and HITECH compliant.

Scan medical charts, business files, patient records,

networks also offers optical character recognition (OCR) and redaction services.

Because there are still some  old luddites who do not believe  in all this new fangled computer technology and  for those times like Katrina we still have to store some  paper records .

so PRESTO we have one more new industry
Medical Records Storage
“Our pre-screened network of record storage professionals specialize in helping you stay in compliance and minimize your storage costs. Get free quotes today!”


select the right electronic medical records software for your practice Electronic Medical Records Software/ we have one more new industry

So every entrepreneur worth his salt saw an opportunity so we have  500 + ( I have lost count because new fish join the pond daily and the  big fish swallow the useful new fish and make them useless) Electronic Health Record Systems

we have one more new industry
specialize in making the transition to an EMR simple and cost-effective for practices of all sizes.

Electronic Health Record Systems
Let our experts navigate you through all the acronyms and options so your practice can reach the meaningful use requirements in HITECH.

Medical Record Scanning & Storage Services

WE can help you find a reputable local medical record scanning partner that can handle your project quickly, efficiently and securely.  Let us help you get more organized and eliminate the costs associated with digital paper document management today!

If you’d like a free, no obligation quotes on medical record scanning, storage, or are looking for help on importing electronic medical records into an EHR, fill out the form to the right, or give us a call at (999-99-9999) Sorry HIPPA rules do not allow us to provide PII.( one more morsel lof the  alphabet soup,see below ) Within minutes, you’ll be connected with an expert in your area that has a quote ready for your practice’s specific need.

Definition of PII

The term PII has become widely accepted in recent years. Here are definitions from three very credible agencies of the federal government:

1) PII is any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including (1) any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual‘s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, or biometric records; and (2) any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information. (Source: Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), National Institute of Standards and Technology, page 2-1)

2) The Department of Homeland Security defines PII as any information that permits the identity of an individual to be directly or indirectly inferred, including any information which is linked or linkable to that individual regardless of whether the individual is a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, visitor to the U.S., or employee or contractor to the Department. (Source: Handbook for Safeguarding Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information At The Department of Homeland Security, page 6)

3) PII is “information that can be used to locate or identify an individual, such as names, aliases, Social Security numbers, biometric records, and other personal information that is linked or linkable to an individual. Loss of such information may lead to identity theft or other fraudulent use of the information, resulting in substantial harm, embarrassment, and inconvenience to individuals.” (Source: Report to Congressional Requesters, Protecting Personally Identifiable Information, United States Government Accountability Office, page 1)

A key common denominator of the above definitions is the fact that the information must be linked or linkable to an individual. The best definition, however, in my opinion, and one that is most relevant to website and blog operators, can be found on the Wikipedia website:

Personally Identifiable Information (PII), as used in information security, refers to information that can be used to uniquely identify, contact, or locate a single person or can be used with other sources to uniquely identify a single individual. The abbreviation PII is widely accepted, but the phrase it abbreviates has four common variants based on personal, personally, identifiable, and identifying. Not all are equivalent, and for legal purposes the effective definitions vary depending on the jurisdiction and the purposes for which the term is being used.

Although the concept of PII is ancient, it has become much more important as information technology and the Internet have made it easier to collect PII, leading to a profitable market in collecting and reselling PII. PII can also be exploited by criminals to stalk or steal the identity of a person, or to plan a person’s murder or robbery, among other crimes. As a response to these threats, many web site privacy policies specifically address the collection of PII, and lawmakers have enacted a series of legislation to limit the distribution and accessibility of PII.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personally_identifiable_information)

PHI (Protected Health Information)

Medical records retrieval and HIPPA_ Birth of a whole new industry on the back of Medicine

Medical records retrieval and  HIPPA a whole new industry due to paranoia and vanity of some patients.

Even before  the social media revolution which has made every Tom,Dick,Mary and Jane in to thinking they are some kind of celebrity, that the whole world is eager and dying to know what they ate for breakfast today or whether they broke up with  their lousy girl/ boyfriend .medical industry came up with this bugbear called HIPPA which sounds more hip than the original names of two dudes who dreamt up this, Kennedy-Kassebaum Bill. KKB sounds more like  KKK.(Ku Klux Klan)

The original intent was to help people carry their health insurance from one company to the next, as well as streamline the movement of medical records from one health care institution to another.

But then ( drum roll please)

In addition, HIPAA created a system to recognize and enforce the rights of patients to protect the privacy of their medical records.

HIPAA is a series of laws that have required healthcare organizations to invest time and money into training for strict compliance. As if we are not spending billions already on defensive medicine. Although this can be a lengthy and arduous effort for those in the healthcare industry, for patients it creates an additional level and sense of security.( about what ?)

Three decades ago!

The roots of HIPAA stem from the early 1990s when it first became apparent that the medical care industry would become more efficient by computerizing medical records.

In addition, the industry also needed new standards regarding the management of healthcare data.

These standards included rules regarding the portability of medical information as well as the establishment and protection of a patient’s right to medical privacy.There was also the issue of ensuring that people could keep their health care coverage when they left their jobs.

HIPAA, the law that resulted from efforts to address these concerns, was passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton.

While the law itself was passed in 1996, the actual details of the law were left to future specifications by Congress, as well as the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

( isn’t this a wonderful way to enact laws? You pass  some "xyz" law and let a bunch of clueless  bureaucrats decide what the regulations should be under the law./ I wish there is such a facility in medicine where I can do a cholecystectomy on a normal gallbladder or an angioplasty on a 115-year-old’s coronary because in future they are going to develop cholecystitis or coronary artery disease)

bu·reau·crat

ˈbyo͝orəˌkrat/

noun

plural noun: bureaucrats

1. an official in a government department, in particular ,one perceived as being concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of people's needs.

The Privacy Rule was the first aspect of HIPAA to be finalized in 1999. Next came the Transaction and Code Sets Final Rule, in 2000, followed by the Security Rule and the National Provider Identifier, or Unique Identifiers, rule.

The Enforcement Rule specification was, as of 2006, the last part to be finalized in detail.

HIPAA Regulations

healthcare laws regulations impact electronic health records HIPAA is a series of regulations governing the transfer of medical information, particularly its modernization by implementing electronic medical record systems.

In addition, it also addresses the issues of health insurance portability and patient privacy rights.

The law is broken up into Title I and Title II, the latter of which is also broken up into separate Rules.

Title I is called “Health Care Access, Portability, and Renewability” and it deals with health care plans and policies. Title I regulates the amount of “exclusion” period, or time that health insurers can delay coverage for pre-existing conditions, and also allows ways for policyholders to reduce the exclusion period. Title I also enables people to carry their insurance from one job to the next.
Title II is called “Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse” and it is made up of five separate Rules: the Privacy Rule, Transactions and Code Sets Rule, Security Rule, Unique Identifiers or National Provider Rule, and the Enforcement Rule.
HIPAA Requirements for Compliance

To comply with HIPAA patient privacy regulations, there are a number of steps that health care providers and insurance companies must take.

The law requires that a company must have a HIPAA Compliance Officer who has taken a training course in compliance. This person will be the one who is ultimately responsible for staying on top of HIPAA requirements and ensuring that the organization is following the law.
Employees need to be kept up to date on policies that pertain to the organization. This may also require ongoing training for the staff.
HIPAA requires organizations to safeguard patient data against unauthorized access and disclosure. This involves implementing a number of security measures that are adequate to prevent physical and network-based intrusions.
In the event of a security breach, organizations are required by law to report the incident and to inform those patients and clients whose information may be affected.
HIPAA Complaints and Violations

In the event of a violation of the HIPAA law, patients are given options to file a complaint. This primarily involves contacting the Office for Civil Rights (OCR this is different  from the computer term ). The OCR has the authority to investigate allegations of violations and to enforce the law, particularly the Privacy Rule.

Affected parties are required to file a written and detailed complaint either on paper, through the U.S. Mail, via email or by fax within 180 days of the incident, although some deadline exceptions may be granted. HIPAA also forbids retaliation against, or harassment of, those who file complaints.

Punishments for HIPAA violations can include hefty fines, or in the case of willful or egregious violations, imprisonment. HIPAA allows for additional punishments to be administered at the state level.

For instance, California ( which is another  country with in a country just like the republic of texas) allows for additional fines, such as $250,000 for disclosure of a person’s medical information for financial gain, and also allows affected parties to file a civil lawsuit.

Medical Records Management

There are several electronic medical record systems that a practice can employ to comply with HIPAA laws and regulations.

computerize your  Electronic Medical Records(EMR) system ( sorry it is changed to  Electronic Health records EHR), always  difficult and Painful transition

EHR- converting paper records of  bad old doctors, who cared more about the patient, than their   recording of the details on paper. Medical Record Scanning

Medical record imaging process has to be  HIPAA and HITECH compliant.

Scan medical charts, business files, patient records,

networks also offers optical character recognition (OCR) and redaction services.

Because there are still some  old luddites who do not believe  in all this new fangled computer technology and  for those times like Katrina we still have to store some  paper records .

so PRESTO we have one more new industry
Medical Records Storage
“Our pre-screened network of record storage professionals specialize in helping you stay in compliance and minimize your storage costs. Get free quotes today!”


select the right electronic medical records software for your practice Electronic Medical Records Software/ we have one more new industry

So every entrepreneur worth his salt saw an opportunity so we have  500 + ( I have lost count because new fish join the pond daily and the  big fish swallow the useful new fish and make them useless) Electronic Health Record Systems

we have one more new industry
specialize in making the transition to an EMR simple and cost-effective for practices of all sizes.

Electronic Health Record Systems
Let our experts navigate you through all the acronyms and options so your practice can reach the meaningful use requirements in HITECH.

Medical Record Scanning & Storage Services

WE can help you find a reputable local medical record scanning partner that can handle your project quickly, efficiently and securely.  Let us help you get more organized and eliminate the costs associated with digital paper document management today!

If you’d like a free, no obligation quotes on medical record scanning, storage, or are looking for help on importing electronic medical records into an EHR, fill out the form to the right, or give us a call at (999-99-9999) Sorry HIPPA rules do not allow us to provide PII.( one more morsel lof the  alphabet soup,see below ) Within minutes, you’ll be connected with an expert in your area that has a quote ready for your practice’s specific need.

Definition of PII

The term PII has become widely accepted in recent years. Here are definitions from three very credible agencies of the federal government:

1) PII is any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including (1) any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual‘s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, or biometric records; and (2) any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information. (Source: Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information (PII), National Institute of Standards and Technology, page 2-1)

2) The Department of Homeland Security defines PII as any information that permits the identity of an individual to be directly or indirectly inferred, including any information which is linked or linkable to that individual regardless of whether the individual is a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, visitor to the U.S., or employee or contractor to the Department. (Source: Handbook for Safeguarding Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information At The Department of Homeland Security, page 6)

3) PII is “information that can be used to locate or identify an individual, such as names, aliases, Social Security numbers, biometric records, and other personal information that is linked or linkable to an individual. Loss of such information may lead to identity theft or other fraudulent use of the information, resulting in substantial harm, embarrassment, and inconvenience to individuals.” (Source: Report to Congressional Requesters, Protecting Personally Identifiable Information, United States Government Accountability Office, page 1)

A key common denominator of the above definitions is the fact that the information must be linked or linkable to an individual. The best definition, however, in my opinion, and one that is most relevant to website and blog operators, can be found on the Wikipedia website:

Personally Identifiable Information (PII), as used in information security, refers to information that can be used to uniquely identify, contact, or locate a single person or can be used with other sources to uniquely identify a single individual. The abbreviation PII is widely accepted, but the phrase it abbreviates has four common variants based on personal, personally, identifiable, and identifying. Not all are equivalent, and for legal purposes the effective definitions vary depending on the jurisdiction and the purposes for which the term is being used.

Although the concept of PII is ancient, it has become much more important as information technology and the Internet have made it easier to collect PII, leading to a profitable market in collecting and reselling PII. PII can also be exploited by criminals to stalk or steal the identity of a person, or to plan a person’s murder or robbery, among other crimes. As a response to these threats, many web site privacy policies specifically address the collection of PII, and lawmakers have enacted a series of legislation to limit the distribution and accessibility of PII.

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personally_identifiable_information)