Da Nose (News for them that nose!)

HOT OFF DA PRESS What happened to da old stuff? Due to extended loud whining, da old stuff is back But you can still buy it hot off the press!

Regulation of Health Information Processing in an Outsourcing Environment ______________________________________________________ A Joint Position Statement issued by: American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) California Health Information Association (CHIA) American Association for Medical Transcription (AAMT) Medical Transcription Industry Alliance (MTIA) Click on the link (Acrobat PDF file)

Da Nose Goes to Washington! At first we thought this was going to be difficult, after all, what sort of qualifications does Da Nose have to open an office in our nation's capital to gain access to the assorted snorts and snuffles that are part of the current flurry of political posturing by senate and congress critters. It's true we did have a bit of talking to do, but after pointing out that a recent investigatory hearing in California admitted "expert" testimony about data mining from a for- profit web site with no training in the technical field of data mining; that the winning qualifications for becoming an advisor to a Senator regarding protection of PHI were that the gentleman in question is a veterinarian, whose sister "used" to be an medical transcriptionist; that credentialing committee agreed with us that Da Nose's particular style is eminently suited to the sort of in depth reporting the issues of health care deserve! But there won't be time to stand around sniffing the cherry blossoms for our reporter on the spot (ROTS) because the scents were flying in the door before our ROTS got the computers unpacked with an anonymous tip that an "unnamed state is working on prohibiting off-shoring of jobs and they're working on tacking this on to a bill that has already passed, so that it can be done without having to go public until it's a done deal. I'm meeting with the key people who are responsible for this in the state to finalize the verbage and by the time we're finished and it hits the media, it'll be signed by the governor and a "done deal". Nothing like the fine scent of fish in the wind to remind Da Nose that if the public really wanted something like this to happen there would be no need for all this sneaking around to hide it!

AN IC IS AN IC IS AN IC...EXCEPT WHEN THE COURT SAYS "SORRY CHARLIE BUT YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE" So you think you are an IC? According to this court ruling maybe you are and maybe you aren't! This case first came to Da Nose's attention at the last annual MTIA meeting. Discussion of the details set forth in the court ruling reportedly had small and large MTSOs in the audience squirming in their seats and asking far more questions than one would expect from employers who have been properly classifying their employees for tax reporting purposes all along. At one time or another the link to this court ruling has been posted at websites frequented by MTs over the past year. Not to be nit picky, but Da Nose notes that reporting on this issue appears to touch a sore spot and the information posted seems to be promptly removed by board owners more timorous than Da Nose. Here at DA Noseletter this court ruling is considered as 'MUST READ" information for any MT, newbie or oldbie, who wants to be an IC; thinks they are an IC already; or is being told by the MTSO (small or large) they are an IC. Da Nose also twitches a bit reading the footnote regarding "noncompete contracts." WARNING: This is at least two-hanky read for those MTs who have labored under the impression that they were ICs for many years. From the public record, Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District: Quality Medical Transcription, Inc., Appellant v. Dorothy Woods, Defendant; Division of Employment Security, Respondent

MEDICAL INSURANCE PREMIUM OR THE LIGHT BILL, WHICH ONE DO YOU PAY FIRST? Da Nose encourages those Americans who do not qualify for group insurance, sinking under ever increasing personal monthly premiums for individual family coverage to check out Senate Bill 545, the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003. This bill would make it easier for professional associations to sponsor an affordable health insurance plan for its members who are self-employed. Information and instructions are at the AAMT web site

THE HIPAA CASH COW Just as small MTSOs, ICs, started to breath a sigh of relief and think they have this HIPAA stuff under control along comes the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) with an "excellent adventure" along the road to lighten the pocket books to the tune of $15,000, renewable every two years, with their joint collaboration on the Privacy Certification Program for Business Associates (PCBA). Da Nose would love to discuss the requirements of these two organizations so that interested MTSOs could learn what is required to an officially "certified BA," but, sadly, the tacky button sponsors refuse to cough up the $160 required to purchase the "official" criteria for this coveted designation. Of course Da Nose is very curious about how and when JCAHO or the NCQA became ad hoc branches of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the only folks Da Nose is aware of with the "official mandate" for all things HIPAA, and whose definitive website for HIPAA fails to mention this new twist on a "voluntary review process at a price" promoted by these two organizations. Medical Privacy - National Standards to Protect the Privacy of Personal Health Information
Got a scoop for Da Nose? Think you got more ideas than Da Nose gots? You can assume the coveted position of ROTS (unpaid, of course, until Da Nose buys a yacht cuz we gotta get rich off yer scoops)