Compliance & Legal

Citing patient safety, the agency says it has "significant concerns" regarding the electronic health record vendor's compliance with its obligation under a 2017 Corporate Integrity Agreement.

Ed Simcox, who left HHS in February, says it's time to create an information-sharing system that leverages modern technologies – before the next crisis hits.

The fines are the latest effort on OCR's part to enforce HIPAA regulations around protected health information.

Of the 15 cities examined, Cleveland had the highest rate of hospitals that reported the ability to find, send, receive and integrate electronic health information with sources outside their health system, according to a new report from ONC.  

The updated interim final rule, meant to offer providers and developers more flexibility as they respond to COVID-19, also pushes out health IT certification requirements.

Such a regulation would assist providers with implementing medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in the longer term.

Providers, certified IT developers and HIEs should "be on the lookout" for upcoming adjustments in certain timelines, said Deputy National Coordinator Steve Posnack.

Hospital associations call the threat from CMS to withhold Medicare and Medicaid participation for non-compliant data reporting "reckless."

He predicted in a Tuesday speech that patients will eventually see telehealth as a "durable and desirable" part of their healthcare experience.

The Office for Civil Rights at HHS settled this week with Phoenix-based St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center for $160,000, alleging that a mother was unable to access her son's medical records.