Why Home Based Medical Transcription is a Smart Decision

Did you always want the comfort of working from home? Being a home-based medical transcriptionist is one of the best careers to choose as the medical transcription field has not suffered under the recession crisis or other economic assaults. Though it’s a tough decision to make, working from home has major benefits. Just compare the saving of money working from home to commuting! Time and money will be spent and you will be too tired commuting and working to do anything else. Home-based medical transcription is a smart decision with the concept of freedom, looking after the family and enjoying comfortable surroundings. You can plan your day and finish your medical transcription assignments without having to worry about rush hours, traffic and other irritations.

Not only do you save time and energy, you also get to have your own private space with your home office which you can organize according to your tastes. As the healthcare industry is growing rapidly, medical transcriptionists are in constant demand and what better than a home-based medical transcription job? You can work around your child/children’s schedule and be there for them at all times. Though a home-based medical transcription job does have its hazards like demands from the family, external noises and sounds, being a home professional has its benefits as one does have the time to complete all household chores as well as transcribing medical records on time. Even if the salary is less, you will find that you can save money by not commuting to work and eating out. Working from home as a medical transcriptionist is a smart decision as well as a bonus for you and your family.

For more information, visit http://www.usmedicaltranscriptionservice.com/ or call 1-800-723-4308 

HIPAA Audits to Accelerate Compliance

The mandate for the Department of Health and Human Services or HHS that comes under the patronage or sponsorship of the 2009 HITECH or Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, will lead audits from time to time that ensure HIPAA compliance, audits of security compliance and privacy should be accounted for by all covered entities that come under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Involving a three-step process, the pilot audit program should adhere to the protocols of the audit followed by testing of protocols with the results of the first audit that will display the process of how the rest of audits will be conducted and the final management of the complete range of audits will be done by utilizing the altered protocol data.  

Under the sponsorship the 2009 HITECH or Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act has also mandated the Department of Health and Human Services or HHS to ensure HIPAA compliance with stipulated audits. The covered entities will have to host an on-site visit as well as furnish the necessary documentation. The Office for Civil Rights or OCR will conduct the pilot program with the first round of audits which will emphasize education and awareness more than subjecting the covered entities to penalties. The Department of Health and Human Services or HHS will contribute the best practices gleaned from the process of auditing which will be completed by December 2012 and clear up any deficiencies that are found with guidance and support.

Any of the covered entities that exhibit glaring noncompliance would have to go through payment of penalties and investigations. According to Adam H. Greene who is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Davis Wright Tremaine and who originally worked at the OCR has focused his practice on HIPAA compliance says, “I don't expect too many, if any, covered entities to come out of this audit-proof. Some segments [of covered entities] are fully aware of the audits, but others - like small medical practices - are not aware. There are a lot of covered entities that are unprepared for an outside audit”. Joseph Lazzarotti, a partner at Jackson Lewis in White Plains, N.Y., agreed saying, "In my view, no-one is 100 percent compliant", he said. With regulations being updated or added frequently and the technology constantly changing, the ground of compliance is always shifting and it is hard to keep up”.

For more information, visit http://www.usmedicaltranscriptionservice.com/ or call 1-800-723-4308 

Discover the Secret of Client Testimonials

As one of the most rewarding and satisfying aspects, client testimonies have leveraged medical transcription companies websites adding the flavors of trust and reliability. With a tangible air of adding confidence and guarantee, customer testimonies offer the fact that the clients are satisfied with the services of the company and are able to give the client a sense of surety. A website that does not have client testimonials will not invite new business and forces the client to ask for referrals.

In order to display the success of their business, medical transcription companies often request their customers for a testimonial. If the client is happy with the work that is rendered, they will comply by email and send the desired testimonial. With the client obliging the medical transcription company opens out avenues for new growth and adding to knowledge with skill and the ability to hone capabilities.

Client testimonials speak volumes. This helps prospective customers to check on core strengths, skill sets and the credibility of the company. With the fact that it is quite rare to find a dependable medical transcription company, client testimonials are a good pathfinder to detect and discover suitable medical transcription services.

For more information, visit http://www.usmedicaltranscriptionservice.com/ or call 1-800-723-4308 

 

Tips for Meeting the Deadline for Version 5010

With the impending deadline for physicians’ medical practices to adopt the Version 5010 HIPAA standards that replaces the 4010 standards, there are many reasons for the delays related to the conversion. As January 1, 2012 is the required date for the adoption of the 5010 standard, the necessary changes for this important procedure are associated with major billing processes such as transaction acknowledgement, eligibility inquiry, claim status inquiry, claims submission and remission. Though the CMS launched the Enforcement Deadline Extension of March 31, it will not be a substitute for the January 1, 5010 deadline.

As the Enforcement Deadline Extension varies from the Compliance Deadline, it means that the government will not inquire with those parties that do not act in accordance with the Version 5010 until a complaint is registered. There is speculation that Medicare and payors will not accept claims that are submitted after January 1 and it is time for practices to start preparing for the 5010 deadline.  The background of the 5010 version stems from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enacted by the Congress 15 years back in 1996.  This Act in turn created the HIPAA Privacy Standard, the HIPAA Security Standard and innumerable Notice of Privacy Practices forms. One of the aspects of the HIPAA requirement stated that the Department of Health & Human Services should establish norms for all covered entities. These norms are related to clearinghouses, health plans, medical practices and other associated entities for use in electronically transmitted core administrative transactions.

The existing standard is called 4010 or X12 Version 4010/4010A1. Version 5010 allows for expansion of efficiency for claims transaction and accommodation of ICD-10 codes to be launched in October 2013. Version 5010 leverages a practice's electronic claims transactions but does not affect a practice's clinical operation. Some of the practices are exempted from adhering to the 5010 conversion such as practices with less than 10 employees working full-time are not expected to comply with the administrative simplification provisions of HIPAA. The practice management software electronic clearinghouse or the vendor should be contacted for the necessary advice, submission of a full nine-digit Zip Code when reporting for the service facility and billing provider, P.O. boxes and lock box addresses and a physical address for the billing provider.

For more information, visit http://www.usmedicaltranscriptionservice.com/ or call 1-800-723-4308 

The HIPAA Audits Program Objectives

With the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights or OCR starting its pilot phase of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Audit Program, an audit will begin for 150 covered entities. There is a speculation as to whether the business associates of the covered entities will be audited as well. The OCR will audit the applied protocols and evaluate any weaknesses in the program besides promoting the best practices. This progression will help the OCR as a guide to collect information on how to conduct and direct HIPAA compliance audits for business associates and covered entities for the future.

Whether there are egregious or unintentional deficiencies, enforcement laws will be applied according to the various levels of non-compliance to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Audit Program. The overview displays that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, in Section 13411 of the HITECH Act has directed the HHS to conduct periodic audits to guarantee that business associates and covered entities to comply with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules and Breach Notification standards. With the specified mandate in the progression and implementation stage, the OCR will begin in November 2011 and would be completed by December 2012.

The program objectives will be one of the facets of the OCR’s security, privacy and health information program. The OCR will utilize the audit program to determine the efforts made to comply with the protocols required by HIPAA. The final audit process will exhibit the best practices which will be shared the OCR and serve as a guide to identify challenges of the compliance rules faced by the covered entities and their business associates. The security and privacy audit process will comply with the known audit rules and the OCR will inform the chosen entities for the auditing process to submit audit reports as well as being available for on-site visits. Interviews will take place during site visits with the main personnel concerned with observation and examination of the processes for compliance. The audit reports will display the process of conducting the audit, the findings and the response of the covered entity to any actions on the findings. The final report will hold solutions of revised actions to the rules of compliance and the covered entity will be given opportunities to discuss concerns and identification of any deficits so that they can implement the best practices. 

For more information, visit http://www.usmedicaltranscriptionservice.com/ or call 1-800-723-4308