Information Technology and EMR

The latest installation in our series on legislation recently passed by the New York State Legislature (introduced here) addresses legislation in the long term care and aging space.  It follows upon descriptions of legislation in the pharmacy space (here) and hospital space (here).  Like those areas, the long term care area was impacted by
Continue Reading Legislation Affecting Long Term Care & Aging

The New York State Department of Health (DOH), in consultation with the Department of Labor (DOL), recently announced a Request for Applications for the Health Workforce Retraining Initiative (HWRI).  This program was established pursuant to NYS Public Health Law §2807-g and is funded through the State’s Health Care Reform Act.  The 2018-19 Enacted New York State Budget included $9 million

Continue Reading NYS Department of Health Announces Workforce Retraining Funding Opportunity

As we have discussed in an earlier blog post, the federal administrative agencies have been placing greater emphasis on being more transparent and promoting “interoperability”.

As such, on April 24, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) proposed changes to its Inpatient Prospective Payment System and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System to promote better access to
Continue Reading Seeking Interoperability: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

 

A Renewed Focus: 2018-19 NYS Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Budget Highlights

Since the beginning of the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo, there has been a strong emphasis on reform of the acute, primary, and long term care systems, and, particularly with the recent focus on the opioid crisis, that attention has extended to the behavioral
Continue Reading A Renewed Focus: 2018-19 New York State Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Budget Highlights

New York increases Assisted Living Beds in 2018-19 Enacted Budget

While much of the public attention this year on healthcare budget negotiations in New York State was drawn to the pharmaceutical and managed care sectors, the Enacted Budget for 2018-19 also includes some very significant reforms in the long term care space. Continuing its ongoing efforts
Continue Reading Fewer Home Care Providers, But More Assisted Living Programs: Long Term Care Reforms in 2018-19 New York State Budget

On January 5, 2018, the United States Department of Health and Human Services released for public comment a draft Trusted Exchange Framework, which seeks to accomplish interoperability with respect to patients’ Electronic Health Information (“EHI”) through the creation of Health Information Networks (“HINs”). The 21st Century Cures Act, which Congress enacted in 2016, has the goal of creating
Continue Reading What are Your Thoughts on the Draft Trusted Exchange Framework?

Effective March 1, 2017, the New York State Department of Financial Services promulgated regulations to help protect against cybercriminals and their efforts to exploit sensitive electronic data. These cybersecurity regulations apply to all individuals and entities that “operate under a license, registration, charter, certificate, permit, accreditation or similar authorization under the Banking Law, the Insurance Law or the Financial Services
Continue Reading New York’s New Cybersecurity Regulations and its Impact on your Sensitive Health Information

Picture1Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CHCS) is the first business associate to be held directly liable for violations under the HIPAA rules. CHCS provided management and information technology services to six nursing homes. According to the OCR Resolution Agreement, OCR received separate notifications from each of the six nursing homes regarding a breach of unsecured
Continue Reading OCR’s First Settlement with a Business Associate for HIPAA Violations

Picture1Under the Privacy Rule, HIPAA covered entities (health care providers and health plans) are required to provide individuals, upon request, with access to their protected health information (PHI) in one or more “designated record sets” maintained by or for the covered entity.

Covered entities are also required to protect the individual’s PHI from unauthorized disclosure. How must a covered entity
Continue Reading The Individual’s Rights Under HIPAA to Access their Health Information- Verifying the Identity of the Person Requesting PHI

Alternatives to the hospital emergency room and primary care doctor’s office are opening in strip malls and other retail locations throughout the country. New York State is no exception. In an effort to provide oversight for these walk-in clinics, New York’s Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC) has recommended regulations for these facilities.

The recommendations would place walk-in
Continue Reading NYS DOH Recommends Regulations for Retail and Urgent Care Clinics