HIPAA. Five letters that strike fear into the heart of anyone that handles employee medical information. That is, anyone except an NLRB judge passing judgment on whether an employer was justified in firing a union-supporting employee for clear HIPAA violations. The judge concluded that the employee’s HIPAA violation did not strip her of the Act’s protection. HIPAA isn’t the only law that mandates the confidentiality of medical information. MORE

million to settle allegations that it violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by disclosing protected health information (PHI) in a press release. The U.S. In addition to the $2.4 The post Disclosures in Press Release Lead to $2.4M MORE

Sure, it may seem like a piece of cake in theory, but it’s way more difficult when the task is actually at hand. In addition to ensuring that your program design aligns with your company objectives, you also need to think about ways to encourage engagement, decide on a set of metrics to measure the results of your efforts, and consider all the other variables that go into your program. With that said, here are some of the most common mistakes that we’ve seen over the years. MORE

Human Resources practitioners online receive frequent emails from employees that say, “I had a problem, so I went to HR. Well, here are some of the things that HR must act on. To keep reading, click here: What Is the Meaning of HR Confidentiality MORE

A New York hospital agreed to pay $387,200 to resolve Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy allegations that it disclosed a patient’s particularly sensitive health information, including HIV status, to his employer. The U.S. The CAP also requires St. MORE

What can tracking your employees’ training do for your human resources strategy? It keeps your workers in compliance with state or industry regulations and puts them on track for advancement so that your business can stay current with prevailing trends and maintain a workforce that is engaged and ready for the future. Continuing education (CE) is required within many fields for workers to stay up-to-date on new technologies, skills and developments within the industry. MORE

I am, let’s face it, the typical HR practitioner. I do boring stuff like write policies and lecture train managers. I have boring corporate conference calls on topics like HIPAA and the ACA. Apart from, perhaps, the urinal jokes… I’m your HR lady. MORE

In an effort to improve tracking and prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is modernizing its system for collecting injury data. The new measure, issued on May 11, 2016, is intended to help protect the safety of American employees. According to OSHA, the new provisions make it easier to identify, inspect and target hazards at specific companies. How can your business prepare for the changes ? MORE

Employers may only hire those who can legally work in the United States and must maintain up-to-date I-9 forms for all employees. Employers must withhold and pay the federal government a set percentage of employee wages for the federal government. Employers must withhold and pay the federal government a set percentage of employee wages for Social Security and Medicare. Employers must pay male and female employees the same wage for the same job. MORE

A Rhode Island health system’s $400,000 settlement of a federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)enforcement action illustrates the importance of keeping business associate agreements (BAAs) up to date when circumstances or regulations change. MORE

My first pedometer came as a promotional give-away from the inside of a cereal box in the 1990s. And although fitness trackers have come a long way since that crude iteration, the concept behind them hasn’t changed. Gain leadership support.Ideally, executives who “walk the talk”. MORE

Google’s autocomplete feature is the closest thing we have to a mind-reading machine. The search engine is so widely used, and so good at collecting data about what we look up on the web, that it can tell us what people think about nearly anything. MORE

The keys for plan sponsors to avoid penalties under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as other liability that may come with data breaches, were discussed by HIPAA experts in a recent webinar. Minimizing HIPAA Privacy Liability. MORE

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) imposes requirements to protect and help consumers maintain both their health insurance and their privacy. This is the main provision that most people are referring to when discussing “HIPAA compliance.”. MORE

Since 2010, when legislative and regulatory forces started placing immense pressure on physical therapy practices, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has been pursuing a new payment system. According to a July 2014 study by the Commonwealth Fund , 9.5 MORE

That being said, human resources is often the “go-to” place for employees and they need to feel comfortable coming to HR. When HR met with me, they never listened to my side of the story. ” because the other employee has anxiety. I’m not naïve. MORE

Regardless of your political views, I think it’s safe to say that the U.S. I’m not here to tell anyone how they should feel about the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I thought the information was timely, so asked him if he would share his knowledge with us. MORE

In a world of tight healthcare budgets and increasing pressure to implement new technology, many healthcare CIOs are looking to the cloud for solutions. For many in the field, these obligations have been a roadblock, and perhaps even a disincentive to make changes, especially digital ones. MORE

My ex-roommate left documents in violation of HIPAA (#5 at the link). A brief update: A few aspects that the commenters mentioned that I hadn’t thought of but really helped inform my decision! 1) These charts might have handwritten notes on them that could be important for the patient’s treatment (there were markings on the charts, but again, I didn’t look deeply at them). The other day I see a therapist who specializes in anxiety issues. MORE

As more of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are officially implemented, there are many questions as to what rules and regulations apply to individual organizations. Wellness programs are rising in popularity, and some wonder if they are governed by the ACA. MORE

Conversations with health plans and providers about digital business processes often begin with a single question: “Is it HIPAA compliant?” With meaningful use fueling EHR adoption, in addition to the need for a secure, auditable solution, it is no wonder that regulations are top of mind for healthcare and life science professionals. Download this whitepaper to learn more. Learn more! . MORE

Electronic signatures (e-signatures), the concept of using a signal or process to show signing intent, has been around for a long time. In fact, the New Hampshire Supreme Court ruled in 1869 (Howley v. Over the years, laws and technology have continued to evolve. MORE

The year 2016 was by far the biggest yet for monetary settlements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) privacy and security rules, and 2017 thus far is proceeding apace, a leading HIPAA attorney told a recent conference. The U.S. MORE

If you follow the latest cybersecurity news, you are certainly aware of the Apple-FBI legal dispute in California. The dispute concerns purported “back doors” into iPhones as well as attempts to “hack” secure mobile devices. Indeed, in April, the U.S. MORE

Don’t let your secrets get away through the trash. You also don’t need to keep most of the records from an employee that you terminated 10 years ago. Industrial spies, ex-employees, reporters and other snoops go through the trash of companies looking for all sorts of records. MORE

Employers can expect some relief from federal requirements under the Trump administration, especially those put in place under President Obama. Republicans’ 52–48 position in the Senate also bodes well for Trump’s nominees. Puzder’s reach also may go beyond the U.S. MORE

Nelson, an Armstrong Teasdale partner who is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional, shared his tips at the ECN (Employers Counsel Network) Annual Conference, held recently in Seattle. Trojan generators are readily available on the “dark net,” says Nelson. MORE

More companies are looking to the cloud for business and data storage solutions, especially those in the healthcare space. If your business must be HIPAA-compliant, these 10 questions to ensure HIPAA compliance might save you some major headaches down the road. MORE

More companies are looking to the cloud for business and data storage solutions, especially those in the healthcare space. If your business must be HIPAA-compliant, these 10 questions to ensure HIPAA compliance might save you some major headaches down the road. MORE

Yesterday we learned that the U.S. The OCR plans to conduct desk and on-site audits for both covered entities and their business associates. The first set of audits will be desk audits of covered entities followed by a second round of desk audits of business associates. MORE

It’s easy to ignore the human resources side of your business when things are flowing smoothly. Relations with employees can be enjoyable and fulfilling or time-consuming and terrifying, depending on the situation. Make sure you’re retaining the right records. MORE

Yesterday, at approximately 5:18 PM EDT, all of the associates at my law firm received the same email. “ You will learn something from him nearly every day of the week,” wrote my partner. Plaintiff Linda Diane Cobb filed a race discrimination lawsuit against the State of Tennessee. For example… the two co-workers were allegedly allowed to switch desks whenever they wanted, but Ms. Baker allegedly yelled across the room at Ms. MORE

Certification management is crucial for businesses across a multitude of industries, yet the administrative upkeep is a nightmare. Unfortunately, the consequences of non-compliance are even more dangerous. Look no further than the airline industry. MORE

Having time to focus on the vital revenue-generating responsibilities of running your business can seem like a never ending challenge. It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day administrative tasks that it takes to keep your business running and lose sight of your moneymaking initiatives. Here are three ways a PEO can help keep you from getting side-tracked and support you in making your business the best it can be. Do you know how the Fair Labor Standards Act affects you? MORE

ERISA stands for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. In short, this is the federal law that creates standards for retirement, health, and pension plans. The Act advises when employees must be allowed to join the plan. MORE

Certification management is crucial for businesses across a multitude of industries, yet the administrative upkeep is a nightmare. Unfortunately, the consequences of non-compliance are even more dangerous. These are just a few of the serious consequences businesses and employees can face when certifications are out of date or when managing those certifications is overwhelming. Look no further than the airline industry. Certification Management Nightmares. MORE

The Role of HIPAA Laws in Human Resources. When it comes to topics of privacy especially concerning employee healthcare benefits, HIPAA is one of the most misunderstood and miscommunicated for employers and employees. HIPAA is nebulous and in combination with any employer healthcare plan it creates a great deal of confusion and frustration for managers, HR and employees. What is HIPAA? The HIPAA Privacy Rule as outlined by the U.S. MORE

Federal regulators have released the next round of HIPAA audits, including their priorities for privacy and security guidance. Learn what you’ll need to do in order to comply. The post Ready for your HIPAA Audits? appeared first on Mercer PeoplePro Blog. Health & Wellness Barbara Jessen emerging business entrepreneur entrepreneurs human resources SBA SCORE SHRM small business small business advice small business incubators start ups MORE

HR has relied on the use of data and analytics for years but has only recently begun to embrace people analytics. After all, human capital is the source of all business success—it makes sense to analyze people to understand and even predict enterprise performance. MORE

Originally, I was toying with titling this post, “ What Employers Can Learn From Military Nurses Who Pose Newborns Dancing to 50 Cent, Give Them The Finger, And Then Snap A Video And Photo Captioned, ‘How I currently feel about these mini Satans.’ MORE

The trouble with recordkeeping at a lot of companies: You don’t know how complete your records are until you get involved in litigation or an audit. To be on the safe side, many employment law attorneys recommend you keep everything for at least five to seven years after an employee has left. MORE

This post is a guest post from Mark Combs who is the CEO of ACAReportingService.com. It provides some very important information for all employers dealing with the ACA reporting. For many the process given to us by the IRS has been painful and required quite a steep learning curve. MORE

Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN) filed the required breach report with HHS in January 2012. And when MCPN finally did start conducting risk analyses, they were insufficient to comply with HIPAA’s security rule. The settlement also includes a detailed corrective action plan. MORE