Program designed to verify protections for patient privacy and to prevent medical billing fraud
Charlotte, NC - From the floor of its annual conference, today the Healthcare Business Management Association announced that its new regulatory Compliance Accreditation Program for medical billing companies (a.k.a., revenue cycle management (RCM) companies) is now live. The program is designed to assess RCM company compliance with healthcare industry regulations to protect patient privacy under HIPAA and other federal requirements, including those designed to prevent fraud, waste and abuse in medical billing.
The program was announced in April and was in beta testing by four HBMA member companies through the summer. Three additional early adopters signed onto the program in July. HBMA partnered with Healthcare Compliance Pros to create the program. HCP delivers tools, training and support to assist RCM companies in their regulatory compliance programs.
“HBMA stands for ethical practices in medical billing and revenue cycle management. The HBMA Compliance Accreditation Program represents an evolution in industry standards to protect the confidentiality of patient medical information and to prevent fraud and abuse,” said Ginger Ryder, president of HBMA.
“The HBMA Compliance Accreditation Program is the result of an industry coming together to fulfill its obligation to meet regulatory requirements and strengthen practices. The HBMA Compliance Accreditation Program provides a way for RCM companies to independently assess and validate their practices,” said Eric Christensen, director of client services of HCP. “Healthcare Compliance Pros is pleased to have been selected by HBMA as its partner to transform the industry’s effort to create an impactful program.”
The HBMA Compliance Accreditation Program assesses compliance with HIPAA and with Health and Human Service Office of Inspector General compliance standards on fraud, waste and abuse; the Stark Law, which is designed to prevent conflicts of interest by medical providers in their prescribed patient care; federal Anti-kickback law; and the OIG work plan. The assessment includes a comprehensive evaluation of the policies and practices of RCM companies with respect to employee training; security risks, including the security of confidential patient health information; documentation storage and handling; practices to promote compliance with federal regulations; disaster and emergency preparedness plans; and human resources practices, including background check procedures and onboarding.
HBMA is in Charlotte at the Sheraton Charlotte Hotel, October 15-17, for its annual conference, HBMA 2018: Healthcare Revenue Cycle Conference.
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About the Healthcare Business Management Association (HBMA)
HBMA is a non-profit, member-led trade association of companies that support doctors and other medical providers by handling their medical billing and revenue collection processes, services known as revenue cycle management (RCM). HBMA works with legislative stakeholders and federal agencies in Washington, D.C. to improve the business of medical billing and the practice of healthcare. Since its inception in 1993, HBMA and its members have encouraged professional development and adherence to the HBMA Code of Ethics, advocated on behalf of the RCM profession, and promoted business development through educational events, networking opportunities, certification programs, and a wide range of affiliated vendor resources. For more information about HBMA, visit the www.hbma.org.
About Healthcare Compliance Pros (HCP)
HCP has been an industry and thought leader for years when it comes to HIPAA and Corporate Compliance and ensuring healthcare entities and their business associates remain compliant. As government oversight continues to ever-increase in healthcare, HCP understands the burden this puts on its clients. It takes a hands-on approach with each client evaluating their organizational environment, ensuring their policies and procedures are customized to their organization and kept up-to-date with regulatory changes, and assessing their adherence to these compliance requirements. Each client is assigned a specialist and has access to HCP’s team of experts and compliance technology platform. This type of “managed” approach allows the client to focus on their business, knowing that HCP is working to keep them compliant. For more information about Healthcare Compliance Pros, visit the Healthcare Compliance Pros website.