In This Issue:

Social Media: A Blessing or a Curse for Providers? By Kim Licata

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube…use of social media is growing by leaps and bounds. You can’t go a day without hearing about social media, whether it’s on the television or in a magazine or you are actively using social media. Health-related social media is no different, and for many providers, the potential value of getting their information online is enormous. Before bravely exploring the social media frontier, what do you need to know? After all, it’s a jungle out there!.....

OIG Includes Hospices in Its 2010 Work Plan By Mike Hale

In late October 2009, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its Work Plan for the 2010 fiscal year. Not surprisingly, hospice continues to be an area of focus for the OIG in 2010. The OIG publishes its Work Plan annually and sets forth various projects that the six departments within the OIG will address through audits, evaluations or other compliance activities during the fiscal year. The Work Plan is one method through which the OIG achieves its operational mission “to protect program integrity and the well-being of program beneficiaries by detecting and preventing waste, fraud, and abuse; identifying opportunities to improve economy, efficiency, and effectiveness; and holding accountable those who do not meet program requirements or who violate Federal laws.” FY 2010 Work Plan, pg. i....

Audits and Breaches and Fines, Oh My! — Part I By Elizabeth Johnson

It’s time to make sure your HIPAA privacy and security compliance program has a heart Have you ever had that nagging feeling that you needed to take care of something, but you just didn’t have time so you let it go, probably for too long? I usually feel that way about two things: exercise and yard work. Some HIPAA-covered entities feel that way about compliance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. They are cumbersome, dense, and difficult to fully implement....