Common Healthcare Regulatory Compliance Issues

Are you doing enough to protect your medical office and patients?

You are not the only medical office leader facing this burning question. Research shows that there are more than a million medical doctors in the United States, all of which have patients and their sensitive data.

As the evolving health care industry continues to impact each of these offices, one thing is for certain, and that is the cybersecurity future remains uncertain.

All sorts of regulatory bodies determine how medical offices operate and their expectations can change at warp speed.

Technological and industry changes also force offices to adjust on a regular basis.

Changes in the health care field make managing a medical office tricky in 2018. Read on for a rundown on the common compliance health care challenges offices face.

Health Care Challenges Include Evolving Health Care Laws

The future of the Affordable Care Act, or the ACA, remains uncertain. Right now, the act continues to spark controversy.

Some patients embrace it, but others view the law as unconstitutional and harmful. Many Republican lawmakers are even fighting to get it scrapped, and they have made revisions in recent years.

Whatever happens to this health care law, it will no doubt impact medical offices in the years ahead. Also, an act on Medicare access, which became law in 2015, went into effect this year.

This act, known as MACRA, requires Medicare reimbursement changes for certain doctors. It affects those who reauthorize medical insurance funding for families with minors.

It is critical for medical organizations to overhaul or update existing procedures and policies. These parties include legal teams, compliance officers, and senior leadership.

If this task falls under your purview, you will have to do this all while not compromising patient safety and care.

Regulations on Data Protection

Protecting data was a major focus in 2016 and 2017. This objective will no doubt continue in the upcoming years.

The European Union in 2016 approved the General Data Protection Regulation. This regulation gives patients more data protection and control.

This law is a key example of how people expect health care organizations to keep health information from being stolen or misused.

Tax Matters

With a new tax law taking effect this year, you need to update your financial reporting system to stay on top of the new standards. As a medical office manager, you will need to follow the new requirements for reporting. Some old ones will also still apply.

Also, you may need to rewrite plans and policies. This revision will decrease the damage you will experience due to some revenue-related risks you cannot avoid.

These risks can include mandatory changes to reimbursement models and the need to serve more uninsured patients.

How We Can Help

We understand that legislative changes in the medical field can be hard for you to track. Lucky for you, we can help with that.

We give top-of-the-line solutions to mid-sized and small businesses to help them to operate better. We do this with audits, assessments, technology management help, infrastructure support, and more.

Get in touch with us to find out more about the health care challenges that medical offices face with regulatory compliance. We will show you how we can help you maximize response and lower risk in the years ahead.

Sagacent Technologies offers technology management and support, including proactive/preventative maintenance, onsite and offsite data back-ups, network and security audits, mobility solutions, disaster planning, and emergency business resumption services. The company serves clients of 10 to 150 employees within the Silicon Valley region.