Medical Billing Blog: Section - Security
Archive of all Articles in the Security Section
This is the archive containing links to all articles written in the Security section of our blog.
Click any of the article links below to read the entire article or browse another section to the right to read articles on another subject.
Is Big Data Transforming Medical Billing and Coding Services?
The emergence of big data has revolutionized numerous industries, and healthcare is no exception. One of the critical areas within healthcare that has experienced significant transformation due to big data is medical billing and coding. Medical billing and coding are essential processes for healthcare providers, ensuring that they are reimbursed for services rendered to patients. Big data has introduced efficiency, accuracy, and new opportunities for improvement in these areas. This article explores how big data is affecting medical billing and coding, highlighting its benefits, challenges, and future potential. Understanding Big Data in Healthcare Big data in healthcare refers to the vast amounts of health-related information generated from various sources, including …
Cybersecurity in Today’s Healthcare Space
Cybersecurity has become a serious concern in various sectors, but nowhere is it more critical than in the healthcare industry. With the increasing digitization of healthcare records and the adoption of advanced technologies, the industry faces unique cybersecurity challenges. This article delves into the importance of cybersecurity in healthcare, the threats it faces, and the measures that can be taken to mitigate these risks. The Importance of Cybersecurity in Healthcare Protecting Patient Data The primary concern in healthcare cybersecurity is the protection of patient data. Health records contain sensitive information, including personal identification, medical history, and financial details. The unauthorized access or leakage of this information can lead to severe …
Ensuring Compliance in Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management
Healthcare revenue cycle management (RCM) is a critical component of the healthcare industry, encompassing all administrative and clinical functions that contribute to the capture, management, and collection of patient service revenue. Ensuring compliance within the revenue cycle is paramount, given the complex regulatory environment and the potential for significant financial and legal repercussions for non-compliance. This article aims to provide healthcare administrators and doctors with a comprehensive understanding of compliance in RCM, highlighting the challenges, strategies, and best practices to maintain adherence to regulatory standards and optimize financial performance. Understanding Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management Healthcare revenue cycle management (RCM) is the financial process that healthcare facilities use to manage the …
Week 2 of the Change Healthcare Cyber Attack
The cyber attack on Change Healthcare, reported to have begun on February 21, 2024, has been attributed to the Blackcat ransomware gang, also known as ALPHV. This incident has caused significant disruptions across the healthcare sector, affecting pharmacies and healthcare providers throughout the United States. The cybercriminal group is known for its “double extortion” tactic, where they encrypt the victim’s files and also steal sensitive data, demanding a ransom for both the decryption key and the non-release of the stolen data. In this case, there’s a possibility of a data breach, although it hasn’t been officially confirmed by Change Healthcare at this stage. Mandiant, Alphabet’s cybersecurity unit, is spearheading the …
Healthcare security compliance in the cloud
The “cloud” has almost become a buzzword in health IT, with many hospitals considering a shift to remote servers to reduce costs and improve scalability. However, some executives have hesitated, given the cyber-security implications of accessing protected health information through the internet. “It’s like online shopping,” Shaung Liu, chief technology officer of the provider division at Teladoc, said during a Microsoft-sponsored workshop at the Becker’s Hospital Review 3rd Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference Sept. 21 in Chicago. “When you first did online shopping nobody wanted to put their credit card in the cloud … you didn’t trust it,” he explained. “Now, everybody does.” Teladoc, a telehealth company that …
Cybersecurity Taskforce Issues EHR Security Recommendations
A healthcare industry cybersecurity taskforce recently submitted a report to Congress analyzing and addressing various issues with healthcare security including problems unique to EHR technology. The task force was initially convened in March of 2016 by HHS and consisted of members representing organizations ranging from hospitals to pharmaceutical companies. Throughout the year, taskforce members shared information regarding cybersecurity best practices, trends, threats, and general concerns regarding health IT safety. The task force also posted blogs encouraging the public to submit feedback and present ideas the taskforce could draw from when addressing requirements of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015. Ultimately, the taskforce devised the following six imperatives to increase current levels …
Study examines mobile technology use in U.S. hospitals
HIMSS Analytics has released its most recent 2017 Essentials Brief: Mobile Study, which provides an overview of the current use of mobile technology – specifically smart phones and tablets – in U.S. hospitals. Essential Briefs are market research studies focused on identifying salient topics in the healthcare IT space that highlight mind share, market share and market opportunity of specific healthcare software technologies. Health IT researchers from HIMSS Analytics examined the strengths and weaknesses of mobile technology use by U.S. healthcare organizations. To uncover areas that have the most promise for the healthcare market, participants were asked to provide thoughts on future needs to ensure further integration of smartphone/tablet mobile …
7 Things Your Governance Agreement Must Include
A governance agreement forms the foundation of how a practice’s board of directors is comprised, how it makes decisions and operates, and how it maintains authority. An effective agreement can get a practice through a partner disagreement, financial crisis, legal issue, or natural disaster. It’s a critical document no matter if your group has two or 200 physicians. Most practice governance agreements fall short on detail. Often they contain just the legal statements about board size and voting that are required to file the organization’s corporate documents. Add strength to yours by making sure it includes these seven essentials… Continue reading the full article on Physicians Practice
Deadlines: Regulations on HIPAA Compliance for Physicians
The deadline of September 23, 2013 has come and gone on the calendar. It was on this day the federal government enacted changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, better known as HIPAA. Medical physicians must be compliant with privacy and security and changes will include things like how to properly secure a patient’s health information or what you must tell a patient about their privacy rights. Medical physicians have 6 months to comply, and for many this is a difficult task to stay on so that the deadline is met. Compliance of the act includes the following updates to the regulations. Physicians must conduct a risk analysis …
Pediatric Patient History – Who Can Take It?
Contrary to popular belief, it is safe practice to allow any office member to take the review of systems and the family social history. These two evaluation and management history elements can actually be taken by absolutely anyone. It is ok in medical billing for a parent or a secretary to take down this information as long as the information is reviewed and signed off on by the acting pediatrician. The only part of an evaluation and management visit that the physician or nurse practitioner must complete for medical billing purposes is the history of present illness or the reason for the visit. By allowing your administrative staff to complete …
