The Office of Civil Rights ("OCR") is the federal agency that oversees compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and its implementing regulations ("HIPAA").

Tim Puthoff returned to Alabama in January to serve as Chief Executive Officer for Brookwood Baptist Medical Center and Tenet's Alabama and Tennessee Group.

Soon Alabama nurses will likely be able to choose one medical license that will allow them to practice in more than 30 states.

As the worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918 swept through Alabama's Tri-Cities, young Eliza Coffee was one of the many who were lost. The area's hospital was named in her memory.

On October 24, 2018, Congress enacted the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act of 2018 (EKRA). EKRA is part of the "Support for Patients and Communities Act," comprehensive legislation designed to address the opioid crisis.

Managing change is not a simple task. In addition to the pace of advances in health care, there is the continually shifting uncertainty of what will happen next in coverage.

Healthcare practices focus on providing quality care to the patients they serve, utilizing the resources, techniques and expertise available.

In an increasingly connected medical ecosystem where patient safety, health status improvement, and provider reimbursement are impacted at every point along the continuum, the need to efficiently, securely share data appears to have reached a tipping point.

The foundations of our national healthcare law do not strike observers as particularly stable. The laws and regulations scaffolding the delivery of healthcare are constantly evolving at best, and a shifting morass at worst.

The healthcare environment has long been one of constant change. In recent years, change has taken hold more rapidly. From trends in reimbursement, to new technologies, to compliance concerns, and various other regulatory, financial, and social shifts, the landscape is far from fixed.

For some people, the transition from work to retirement can be problem-free, but for others, complications can arise. Retirement can be especially problematic for individuals whose primary identity is their occupation.

Will 2019 be the year you launch a new medical practice? Are you hoping to update, expand, or move to a new location?

Your practice holds an important asset. While not reflected on your financial statement, it is potentially your most valuable tool. There are few tangible reports that show its productivity and worth.

While healthcare faces a lot of unknowns in the coming year, two national experts shared their expectations for 2019 with insights into trends and market forces.

Editor's note: Last month we covered the Alabama Hospital Association's campaign to expand Medicaid in Alabama and how expansion would improve access to care. This month we continue the coverage with a discussion about the economic benefits expansion would bring to the state's healthcare providers.

With the continued proliferation of qui tam False Claims cases showing no signs of slowing down, not only must providers consider the amount of any monetary settlements, they must also consider whether the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health & Human Services ("OIG") will require a corporate integrity agreement ("CIA").

The Alabama Hospital Association has launched the ALhealthmatters campaign, highlighting the importance of expanding Medicaid in Alabama.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced a historically large $16 million HIPAA settlement with Anthem, Inc. following its investigation of the equally historic 2014 breach affecting almost 79 million people. Is this an enforcement trend?

In this day and age, where a vast amount of information is stored electronically and you can buy almost anything with a "one-click" purchase, it comes as no surprise that cyber-incidents are on the rise, especially among healthcare providers.

To facilitate the American healthcare system's transformation from volume-based to value-based payment, CMS is requesting public comment regarding its newly proposed rule that would shift the amount of risk that participants in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) assume under the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP).