Month: October 2024

Upcoming Webinar – Hospital Price Transparency: What Hospitals Need to Know: Part 2, October 15

October 7, 2024

Upcoming Webinar – Hospital Price Transparency: What Hospitals Need to Know: Part 2, October 15

Beginning January 1, 2021, hospitals operating in the United States are required to provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the items and services they provide.

This webinar will discuss the latest hospital price transparency policies effective January 1, 2024. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) subject matter experts will review the latest policy requirements and enforcement actions for hospital price transparency effective July 1, 2024, through January 30, 2025.

High-speed internet is required to participate. A recording will be available after the live event. Connection details will be emailed to you immediately upon registration.

If you have questions or problems with the registration process, please contact RHIhub Webinars at webinars@ruralhealthinfo.org.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, October 15, 11:00 a.m.

Click Here to Register

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October 4, 2024

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

During Domestic Violence Awareness Month, advocates, health care workers, survivors, and community partners across the country work together to end domestic violence.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) safety-net settings of care can support domestic violence awareness by sharing content and resources.

Download HRSA’s Implementation Framework that has activities and resources for HRSA-supported settings of care to prevent and respond to intimate partner violence in the communities they serve.

Click Here to Download Implementation Framework

HRSA Seeking Health Official and Clinician Support for National Health Service Corps

October 4, 2024

HRSA Seeking Health Official and Clinician Support for National Health Service Corps

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is currently looking for new members to join the National Advisory Council on the National Service Corps.

Your expertise and unique experiences can help address health care delivery needs in underserved areas. If you are a clinician or health official with a background in primary care, oral health, or mental/behavioral health, you are invited to apply. Self-nominations are accepted.

Please consider submitting a nomination, including self-nominations, by Friday, December 6, and help make a positive impact.

Click Here to Learn More

Click Here to Nominate

Rural Health Research – Health Care Affordability and Medical Debt: Differences by Rurality, Region, and Socio Demographic Characteristics

October 4, 2024

Rural Health Research – Health Care Affordability and Medical Debt: Differences by Rurality, Region, and Socio Demographic Characteristics

The high cost of health care affects health at both the individual and population level, and rural residents experience inequities in health, access to care, and financial well-being. However, little research has examined how health care affordability differs by rural/urban residence, and how health care affordability varies along geographic and socio-demographic dimensions within rural areas.

This policy brief examines rural/urban differences in rates of health care (un)affordability, as well as among rural residents by key socio-demographic characteristics.

Among key findings in this policy brief from the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center:

  • Health care affordability and medical debt issues differed significantly among rural residents by race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, income, and type of health insurance.
  • Rural residents in the Western U.S. were more likely to be able to pay their medical bills than rural residents in the Northeast, North Central/Midwest, or Southern U.S.

Click Here to Read this Brief

Rural Emergency Hospital Educational Webinar and Fireside Chat, October 10

October 4, 2024

Rural Emergency Hospital Educational Webinar and Fireside Chat, October 10

During this session, the Rural Health Redesign Center (RHRC) will provide attendees with an overview of the no-cost technical assistance for hospitals considering a conversion, available through the Rural Emergency Hospital Technical Assistance Center.

This session will include a Fireside Chat where attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from hospital CEOs that have or are working with the Technical Assistance Center.

The REH provider type is designed to address concerns that some rural hospitals would not be able to sustain operations and could be at risk of closure.

Cost: Free

When: Thursday, October 10, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) – apply by November 7

October 4, 2024

Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP) – apply by November 7

Eligible students in the last year of medical, nursing, or dental school can receive loan repayment assistance from the National Health Service Corp (NHSC) Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (NHSC S2S LRP).

In return, they provide at least three years of full-time service at an NHSC-approved site in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA).

Click Here for S2S LRP Application Checklist

Telehealth Best Practices for Back to School

October 4, 2024

Telehealth Best Practices for Back to School

School-based telehealth can increase a student’s ability to access health care providers. School-based telehealth can include annual exams, monitoring chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma, and providing behavioral health services.

Students who access health care using telehealth in school may have reduced time away from class, reduced travel costs, and increased availability for appointments.

With students back in school, school-based telehealth providers can educate parents about services.

This best practice guide highlights strategies for creating a school-based telehealth program.

Click Here for Best Practice Guide

Additional Best Practice Guides for Telehealth

Webinar: Checklist Guide to Performing an Audit, October 15

October 2, 2024

Webinar: Checklist Guide to Performing an Audit, October 15

This webinar is perfect as a refresher for Certified Healthcare Auditors (CHA), compliance officers and those tasked with the responsibility of auditing and monitoring for compliance.

Learning Objectives

  • Four recommended steps to plan a successful audit
  • 7-step plan for the execution phase of an audit
  • Checklist to guide you through how to approach the report of findings
  • 8-step checklist when recommending a corrective action plan

On the day of the webinar, participants can download the 6-page guidance which outlines appropriate steps to performing an audit.

Cost: Free

When: Tuesday, October 15, 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

Webinar: Introduction to Auditing for Compliance, October 8

October 2, 2024

Webinar: Introduction to Auditing for Compliance, October 8

Join the American Institute of Healthcare Compliance (AIHC) to learn about the importance of compliance and audits. Speaker Joanne Byron, who brings over 35 years of clinical and executive health care experience in areas of compliance, coding, documentation improvement, auditing, privacy, and security.

Learning Objectives – Answers to the Following Questions

  • Why conduct internal audits?
  • How can an audit identify risk?
  • Does the size of our organization matter?
  • Should we have an audit team?
  • Is it important to have a lead auditor?
  • What are the 4 phases of an audit?

Cost: Free

When: October 8, 12:00 p.m.

Click Here to Register

HIPAA & Increased Trend in Record Request Scams – Don’t Fall for Fax Scams

October 2, 2024

HIPAA & Increased Trend in Record Request Scams – Don’t Fall for Fax Scams

Healthcare fraud takes many forms and in the world of cybercrime, health records are big business! A lot of information is contained in that record, such as demographics, social security numbers, Medicare/Medicaid numbers, and even financial information.

Cybercriminals will primarily use medical records to impersonate the victim to receive medical services, benefits, and medications. These types of records are more lucrative for criminals than other types of data, like credit card numbers. According to Experian, a single patient record can sell for up to $1,000 on the black market.

Medical record phishing scams are a type of cyber-attack that aims to trick people into giving away sensitive information, such as patient records, login credentials, or financial details. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has warned physicians to be aware of these scams.

CMS identified phishing scams for medical records, according to an item in the June 20, 2024 MLN Connects newsletter. This may include scammers faxing your office fraudulent medical records requests to get you to send patient records in response and using the CMS logo in their request. When you review any requests, look for signs of a scam, including:

  • Directing you to send records to an unfamiliar fax number or address
  • Referencing Medicare.gov or @Medicare (.gov)
  • Indicating they need records to “update insurance accordingly”
  • Poor grammar, misspellings, or strange wording
  • Incorrect phone numbers
  • Skewed or outdated logos
  • Graphics that are cut and pasted

When responding to a CMS request for records, CMS recommends using the esMD for Medicare Providers and Suppliers, which eliminates the need to mail or fax paper documents.

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