According to Robyn Sztyndor, if you work in the healthcare industry, it is imperative that you are knowledgeable about the current laws and regulations regarding the field. Compliance with these rules and regulations is essential to protect your business from criminal and civil liability. A governmental inquiry into a healthcare organization's practices can result in significant financial exposure and public embarrassment. For this reason, healthcare organizations should encourage a culture of compliance among all staff. Here are the top three reasons why organizations must comply with healthcare regulations:
First and foremost, healthcare regulations must be followed for quality care. If you fail to comply, you may face lawsuits, fines, and even the loss of your medical license. Noncompliance also damages your reputation, as patients will be less likely to seek care from a non-compliant organization. This reputational damage can take years to repair. So, if you don't comply with healthcare regulations, make sure you have a good compliance plan in place.
Second, you should consider compliance with the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. Both of these laws aim to protect patients from the influence of hidden financial arrangements in the healthcare industry. These financial incentives can lead to faulty medical decisions and increased Medicare expenditure. Third, these laws have been designed to encourage a safety culture in healthcare organizations by providing peer review assessments. The Stark Law has also enacted new regulations to protect PSOs from lawsuits, and the Anti-Kickback Statute aims to reduce malpractice claims.
Robyn Sztyndor suggested that, finally, compliance with healthcare regulations is critical for protecting patient privacy. HIPAA and HITECH act mandate that health care organizations maintain privacy and data-security standards. This includes encryption standards, physical security, and procedures for transmitting and storing health information. As a result, cloud computing and other online services can be subject to these regulations. While compliance with these laws can be difficult, HIPAA is the gold standard for protecting the patient's personal information.
Federal and state regulations to enforce the integrity of the healthcare system. False claims filed by providers are illegal and are subject to the False Claims Act, which allows non-government relations to sue on behalf of the government. Furthermore, there are various laws that limit the practices and premiums of healthcare organizations. By ensuring that everyone receives the highest quality care possible, healthcare regulations protect public health. They also protect individuals and prevent medical fraud.
Healthcare compliance officers to ensure that healthcare providers follow laws governing privacy and data protection. Privacy laws and regulations are becoming increasingly complicated and challenging. With an increasing reliance on telemedicine, healthcare organizations must make sure that patients' data is secure and protected. In addition, healthcare compliance officers to help healthcare organizations understand and comply with the various privacy laws, including HIPAA. These regulations were introduced in January 2019 and will be effective by the end of 2022. So, hiring a healthcare compliance officer is crucial for the future of the industry.
In Robyn Sztyndor’s opinion, HIPAA is a series of federal laws designed to protect the privacy of medical information. It consists of three main rules: the Privacy Rule, the Security Rule, and the Breach Notification Rule. Each rule sets out the circumstances under which a healthcare organization may need to disclose patient health information. HHS is also responsible for investigating violations and enforcing fines. In addition to fines, healthcare organizations must notify patients of breaches in HIPAA compliance.
In addition to HIPAA, healthcare organizations must follow a number of federal and state regulations to ensure quality of care. Under this law, healthcare organizations must comply with standards set by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO), which is responsible for ensuring privacy and security. HIPAA helps to reduce costs and provide better medical care. Another federal agency is the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This agency conducts research on cost, medical errors, and the quality of health care.
Additionally, many patients are unable to pay medical bills in full and upfront. Therefore, healthcare organizations must strike a balance between collecting payment on time and not driving them away. The COVID-19 epidemic has pushed healthcare organizations to find new patient payment strategies. Some providers have extended payment terms, changed bad debt placement timing, or allowed patients to delay payments. Another revenue-cycle management challenge is charge capture and coding. Claims reimbursement is often affected by coding errors.