Apprenticeships, traditionally considered a pathway to trade work, have increasingly become an alternative pipeline for professional organizations to build their next generation workforce. The US Labor Department reports that 150,000 employers and labor management organizations participate in its Registered Apprenticeships program-companies including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Chrysler, General Electric, Walgreen Co., and Whirlpool. Learn more about the AHIMA Foundation's Managing the Talent Pipeline in Health Information apprenticeship program and the benefits for becoming an apprenticeship.

Your Money or Your PHI: New Guidance on Ransomware 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 

One of the biggest current threats to health information privacy is the serious compromise of the integrity and availability of data caused by malicious cyber-attacks on electronic health information systems, such as through ransomware. The FBI has reported an increase in ransomware attacks and media have reported a number of ransomware attacks on hospitals. 

To help health care entities better understand and respond to the threat of ransomware, the HHS Office for Civil Rights has released new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidance on ransomware. 

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Proposed Rule: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Hospital and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Changes To Promote Innovation, Flexibility, and Improvement in Patient Care

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 

This proposed rule would update the requirements that hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) must meet to participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These proposals are intended to conform the requirements to current standards of practice and support improvements in quality of care, reduce barriers to care, and reduce some issues that may exacerbate workforce shortage concerns. 

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OCR's Phase Two HIPAA Audits Have Begun 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; Office for Civil Rights (OCR 

As a part of our continued efforts to assess compliance with the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has begun its next phase of audits of covered entities and their business associates. The 2016 Phase 2 HIPAA Audit Program will review the policies and procedures adopted and employed by covered entities and their business associates to meet selected standards and implementation specifications of the Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. 

Selected covered entities received notification letters Monday, July 11, 2016. Business associate audits will commence in the fall. OCR has begun to obtain and verify contact information to identify covered entities and business associates of various types and determine which are appropriate to be included in potential auditee pools. Communications from OCR will be sent via email and may be incorrectly classified as spam. 

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Taking Action to Improve the Medicare Appeals Process 

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services 

Every year, Medicare processes an estimated 1.2 billion fee-for-service claims for more than 33.9 million Medicare beneficiaries who receive health care benefits through the Original Medicare program. Accurate and efficient payment and processing of claims for the services these beneficiaries receive is important to ensuring the integrity of the Medicare program. However, when Medicare beneficiaries or providers disagree with a coverage or payment decision made by Medicare, a Medicare health plan, or a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, they have the right to appeal that decision. 

HHS recently released a Primer on the Medicare Appeals process that describes its three-pronged strategy to address the backlog.

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