Audits | Delegation of Duties | Financial | HIPAA | Immunizations | Legal | Medical Records | Medication | Office Staff | OSHA | Patient - Physician Communication | Resources  

Audits 

• RAC Audits: Alive and Well 
•  Medical Audits: What Physicians Need to Know - white paper by PAI

 Delegation of Duties

•  Document Supervision of NPPs 
•  Hiring a Nonphysician Practitioner? First Step: Set Parameters 
•  When Is a Waiver Needed for NPP in a Nursing Facility? 

Financial 

• Comply With Laws Governing Debt Collection  
• Is Your Practice at Risk for One of These Employee Embezzlement Schemes? 
• New Laws Require Billing Disclosures by Physicians  
• Physicians Can Get Paid During Credentialing Process  
• Preventing Embezzlement  
• Stop Embezzlement Before It Starts  
• Use the RAC Discussion Period to Communicate About Medicare Audit  
• Waiving Copays  
•  Watch for These ID Theft Red Flags  
• Watch Those Extra Fees For Medicare Patients  

HIPAA 

•  Are You a “Covered Entity” Under HIPAA?  
•  Consent vs. Authorization Under HIPAA 
•  Eight Steps to a HIPAA Security Risk Analysis  NEW 
•  Handling Patient Charts Under HIPAA 
•  Health Plan Requests for PHI  NEW 
•  HIPAA and Medical Power of Attorney  NEW 
•  HIPAA Privacy Protections and Child Abuse Reporting: Not a Conflict  
•  HIPAA Privacy Training: Why Now Is a Good Time   
•  HIPAA Security: What Risks Are Realistic for Your Practice?   
•  Medical Records: If You Show, You Have to Tell  
• Privacy and Security Update: Risk Analysis for Health Care Professionals (TMLT article)  NEW 
•  Privacy Notice and the Phone Patient  
• Written Compliance Plan Is a Must 
•  Zip It! Feds, State Strengthen Privacy Protection    

 Immunizations 

• No State Immunity for Harmful Vaccinations  
• Who Can Consent to Immunization of Minors?  

 Legal 

• For TMLT Insureds: What to Do First When Someone Sues  
• How to Respond to a Subpoena  
• How to Win an Unemployment Insurance Hearing  
•  Informed Consent for Anesthesia and Other Procedures NEW 
• No Longer an Option: Feds Now Require Antifraud Compliance Plan    NEW 
• New Information About Informed Consent  NEW 
• “Off the Record” Is Off Limits  
• Which Tests Need a CLIA Waiver Certificate?   

 Medical Records 

• Are Your Patient Charts “Missing in Action?”  
• Destroy Medical Records Securely 
• Electronic Medical Record Documentation Pointers 
• Fees for Copying Medical Records 
•  HIPAA and Medical Power of Attorney  NEW  
• HIV in the Medical Record  
• How Long Do I Have to Keep Patient Medical Records?  
• Maintaining Medical Records When You Leave the State  
• Medical Records and the Divorced Parent 
• Privacy and Security Update: Risk Analysis for Health Care Professionals (TMLT article)  NEW 
• Never Alter Medical Records  
• Use Medical Record Templates With Care  
• Use Medication Reconciliation to Prevent Errors  
• Verify Auditor Credentials      
• What Not to Include in a Medical Record  
• What Should We Include When Filling a Patient’s Records Request?  

 Medication 

• Medication Errors: A Preventable Risk 
• Written Agreement Can Reduce Risks of Pain Med Prescribing  NEW 

 Office Staff 

• Difficult to Keep Front Office Staff? 
• Enforce Your Work Schedules or Pay Overtime  
• Hiring a Nonphysician Practitioner? First Step: Set Parameters  
• How to Win an Unemployment Insurance Hearing  

 OSHA 

• OSHA Compliance in the Small Medical Office  
• OSHA: Hepatitis B Vaccination Requirement  

 Patient - Physician Communication 

• Are You Ready to E-Mail Your Patients?  
• Communications in the Medical Office: Four Steps to Problem Solving  
• Create Practice Guidelines for Dismissing Patients  NEW 
• Creation of the Patient-Physician Relationship 
• Do Appointments Establish a Patient-Physician Relationship?  
• Enhancing the Office Experience for Your Patients  
• Follow-up Care for an ER Patient That You’ve Already “Fired”  
• How to Handle Patient Confrontations 
• How to Talk to Patients So You Both Listen  
• Informed Consent: A Process of Communication 
•  Informed Consent for Anesthesia and Other Procedures  NEW 
• Maintain an Attitude of Respect and Helpfulness Toward Patients  
• New Information About Informed Consent  NEW 
• New Laws Require Billing Disclosures by Physicians  
• Notifying Your Patients When You Leave a Practice  
• Privacy Notice and the Phone Patient  
• Use Your Own Billboards  

 Resources 

  
• Medical Audits: What Physicians Need to Know - white paper by PAI
• Tips for Recognizing Questionable Consultants  
• TMA Knowledge Center: Got Questions?