Articles Written By: Patricia Garcia

Patricia Garcia is the Editor-in-Chief of Healthcare Compliance Journal.

NPY Hospital To Pay Large Settlement Following Malpractice

The New York Attorney General Letitia James recently concluded a legal action against The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital (NYP), resulting in a $300,000 settlement. This action was due to the hospital’s unauthorized use of online tracking tools on its website, which led to the unintentional sharing of sensitive personal and health-related information of its visitors with third-party technology companies. This incident was a clear breach of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the most important piece of legislation designed to protect patient privacy and sensitive health information. From June 2016 to June 2022, NYP employed third-party tracking tools on its…

78 Charged In DOJ’s Historic Healthcare Fraud Takedown

In a wide-reaching law enforcement operation spanning two weeks, the Justice Department, alongside numerous federal and state partners, charged 78 individuals in connection to an extensive health care fraud and opioid abuse operation reportedly worth $2.5 billion. The defendants allegedly exploited government-funded programs designed for the aid of the elderly and disabled, using the ill-gotten wealth to acquire extravagant items such as luxury vehicles, high-end jewelry, and yachts. “The Justice Department will find and bring to justice criminals who seek to defraud Americans and steal from taxpayer-funded programs,” pledged Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the…

Attorneys General Champion Increased Patient Privacy in Reproductive Healthcare

In a significant development in the realm of patient privacy rights, a group of 24 attorneys general, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta, submitted a comment letter on June 16, endorsing expanded federal protections for patients’ reproductive health information. Their support is a response to amendments proposed by the Biden administration to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule in April. “While anti-choice state legislatures across the nation are stripping away our reproductive freedom and seeking access to health care data, it is imperative that we take every measure…

Game-Changer In Cardiac Care: The Revolutionary e-Tattoo From UT Austin

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin have pioneered a trailblazing advancement in cardiac health monitoring technology, introducing the world to a lightweight, wearable device named the “e-tattoo”. This state-of-the-art apparatus is not only flexible but designed to adhere to the wearer’s chest, providing continuous heart monitoring in an array of settings beyond conventional clinical environments. Heart disease, an alarming health crisis, is currently the leading cause of death across the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This health concern indiscriminately affects diverse ethnic groups. Thus, the advent of the e-tattoo…

Study Highlights The Potential Of Telebehavioral Health During And Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a significant increase in telehealth adoption to address various health concerns, including mental health issues like depression and anxiety. The impact of telehealth services on patient engagement and outcomes in the field of behavioral health was explored in a new study, which was featured in the Medical Care supplement of the Lippincott portfolio of Wolters Kluwer. Before the pandemic, the CDC’s 2019 National Health Interview Survey revealed that 4.7% of US adults aged 18 and above experienced consistent feelings of depression. This number surged in 2020, with 30.9% of adults reporting symptoms of anxiety or…

Telemedicine Revolutionizes Gender-Affirming Care Access For Transgender And Gender-Diverse Adolescents Amid Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telemedicine, presenting new opportunities for healthcare access to historically underserved populations, including transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth. A recent study conducted at the Seattle Children’s Gender Clinic (SCGC) explored the impact of telemedicine on access to gender-affirming care for TGD adolescents during this challenging period. The study discovered that the expansion of telemedicine services facilitated continued access to essential gender-affirming care throughout the pandemic. Telemedicine encounters were more likely to be completed and less likely to be canceled, suggesting a significant improvement in overall care access. This finding supports existing research highlighting…

Mislabeling Overtakes Software As Top Cause For Medical Device Recalls

Sedgwick researchers have discovered a substantial drop in the number of recalled medical device units, while cybersecurity and Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) concerns continue to grow. According to the 2023 U.S. Recall Index, recalled medical device units dropped by 27.2%, from 602.5 million in 2021 to 438.4 million in 2022. In contrast, the number of medical device recall events rose by 11.4% in 2022, from 837 in 2021 to 932. Sedgwick reports that mislabeling was the leading cause of recall activity in 2022, with 154 events (16.9%), dethroning Software, which had held the top position for five consecutive…

FDA Issues Update On Rare Cancer Linked To Breast Implants

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has shared an update addressing reports of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a relatively rare cancer form, found in the scar tissue (capsule) developing around breast implants. This important update follows a safety communication in September 2022, which initially alerted the public to the presence of SCC and various lymphomas in the tissue around breast implants, raising concerns among patients and healthcare providers alike. Breast implants, not intended to be permanent fixtures, function as medical devices implanted beneath the breast tissue or chest muscle for the purpose of enlarging the breast size (augmentation)…

Report Finds Cybercriminals Are Adopting Professional Business Tactics

A recent report has found that cybercriminals are adopting professional business strategies and diversifying their portfolios in response to declining revenues, as the world faces economic recession, inflation, and supply chain disruptions in 2022. Trend Micro’s Annual Cybersecurity Roundup for 2022 sheds light on the major security concerns that surfaced and prevailed last year, including the decline in profits for cybercriminal groups, the adaptation of cybercriminals to mirror legitimate businesses, and the top vulnerabilities exploited by malicious actors. According to the report, cybercriminal groups have experienced declining profits, mirroring legitimate businesses when faced with falling revenue. Ransomware groups, in particular,…

DEA Takes Step Toward Expanding Access To Medications With Proposed Telemedicine Rules

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has proposed new regulations that would make it possible to prescribe controlled medications using telemedicine. This would expand access to vital treatments beyond the term of the COVID-19 public health crisis. These rules were created with the help of the US Department of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The new regulations aim to implement safeguards on certain telemedicine consultations that have been conducted without a physical examination of the patient. These rules would allow practitioners to prescribe an amount of Schedule III-V drugs and a 30-day supply of buprenorphine…

CMS Takes Action To Combat Medicare Advantage Overpayments And Improve Program Supervision

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched an investigation into Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) to recoup a staggering $4.7 billion in overpayments. MAOs have long been accused of misusing taxpayer dollars, leading to calls for greater oversight of the programs. Long-standing allegations of payment abuses in the MA program, particularly those connected to risk adjustments, have alarmed regulators. Millions of Americans are covered by the program, which pays MAOs capitated rates and risk-adjusted payments to increase payments to plans for sicker members. Federal officials claim that this structure provides health plans with a financial incentive to misrepresent…

Study Reveals US States Can Do More To Advance Telehealth Policy For Better Access To Care

A study conducted by the Reason Foundation, Cicero Institute, and Pioneer Institute revealed that the US states have room for improvement in advancing telehealth policy to ensure better access to high-quality care. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant shift in healthcare delivery, leading to the widespread adoption of telehealth services. The study noted that while telehealth services were available before the pandemic, millions of Americans used telehealth for the first time over the past three years. The researchers found that most of the emergency actions taken early on in the pandemic were only temporary, and as public health emergency…