Does anybody know anyting about Same Day Transcriptions, Inc.?

• Does anybody know anyting about Same Day Transcriptions, Inc.? - nm

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If you think you are micromanaged now,  just wait until the HITECH Act (Title XIII of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) goes into effect for all MTSOs on February 17, 2010.  President Obama signed the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act as part of the Stimulus package on February 17, 2009, and the MTSO requirements go into effect in February of 2010.  This concerns Protected Health Information (PHI).

AHDI had a PowerPoint presentation at its Convention (the link is below or search for “HITECH Act MTSO” if it does not work for you).  I just picked out some of the highlights as pertains to MTSOs and, ultimately, the MTs that work for them.

http://www.ahdionline.org/portals/0/downloads/ACE09_PowerPoint/ScottEdelstein.pdf

Page 3

Transcription Industry at Crossroads

*Image tarnished

  -Transparency

  -Accountability

*Relevancy

  -EMR

  -SR

*Increased regulation

Page 7

New HIPAA

*Before 2/2010 – Does not directly apply MTSOs

*Effective 2/2010 – Applies directly to MTSOs

*Requires healthcare providers to take certain actions when entrusting medical information to vendors (outsource firms, etc.)

Page 8

Business Associate Rules

*General Rule:  Covered Entity may not disclose PHI to a business associate without “satisfactory assurance” that the PHI will be appropriately safeguarded

*Satisfactory assurance requires a written contract with specific provisions

*If Covered Entity learns of breach of privacy provisions of contract, it must take reasonable steps:  cure breach, terminate or report conduct to HHS

MY COMMENT:  If you are an employee or IC working for an MTSO, they will be in your computer constantly to upgrade security, make sure you have the latest anti-virus software, and make sure you are not accidently saving any “unauthorized” information.

Page 9

*Business Associates directly subject to HIPAA (new)

*Business Associates include MTSOs, HIEs, RHIOs, HER/PHR vendors

Page 10

MTSO Safeguards to Look For

*Secured data center

*Audit trail for access

*Automatic document destruction

*Control over home-based personnel

MY COMMENT:  “Control over home-based personnel.”  What the heck could that mean? 

Page 13

New Security Obligations for MTSOs

*Implement written policies and procedures to address each administrative, technical and physical safeguard standard

*Implement a security awareness and training program for workforce members

*Designate a security official

*Conduct an “accurate and thorough” security risk analysis

MY COMMENT:  “Security awareness and training program” and “security official.”  Are they going to install Spyware and track every keystroke we make and every website we visit? 

Page 15

Restrictions on Sale of PHI

*HITECH Act prohibits MTSOs from directly or indirectly receiving remuneration in exchange for any PHI

*Exceptions for –

  - Remuneration paid by Covered Entity to Business Associate related to Business Associate’s services

MY COMMENT:  “…prohibits MTSOs from … receiving remuneration.”  They would not feel the need to put this restriction in if there had not been questionable sale or reimbursement for PHI information in the past.  Better believe, thought, that EVERY MTSO will start charging for demographic information if they can, but will NOT pay the MTs for inserting that information. 

Page 21

HIPAA Risks of Medical Transcription Systems

*Computerization enables storage of large amounts of data in small spaces.

*Networked information is accessible from anywhere at any time.

*New databases and different types of data sets are more easily created.

*Information is easily gathered, exchanged and transmitted.

Page 22

Enforcing Patient Privacy Overseas

*Injunction difficulties

*Damage award enforcement

*Jurisdiction issues

*Foreign attorneys

*Applicable law issues

Page 23

*EU Privacy Directive (10/24/95)

*Canadian Privacy Law (4/00)

*New Zealand Privacy Act

*Australian Health Privacy Guidelines (1/02)

*Argentina Health Privacy Law (10/00)

*India – No formal data privacy laws

*Other Countries

  - Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Brazil

MY COMMENT:  India currently has no formal data privacy law and probably does not plan to have one soon.  That could open up a whole new can of worms for the MTSOs who off-shore there.  Will they stop using Indian MTs or simply move the headquarters to India and, thus, not have to deal with any of these regulations?  Food for thought!!!

Page 31
Anti-kickback Statute

Scenarios

*HIM Director and his family receive an all-expense paid trip to India

*Paying hospital administrator a “consulting fee” to recommend MTSO

*Providing free PDA or laptop to Director of Medical Records

MY COMMENT:  “consulting fee”  Must be happening already or they would not specifically prohibit it.  Wonder how that will affect current contracts between hospitals and MTSOs.  There could be a major shakeup.  Some MTSOs may lose and some may gain.  Unfortunately, those that lose cannot continue giving work to employees with no hospital contracts. 

Page 33

False Claims Act (FCA)

*Applies to any person or company that directly bills a Federal healthcare program (e.g., hospitals, ASCs, imaging center, nursing homes, physician offices)

*Also applies to Subcontractors that indirectly bill a Federal healthcare program (e.g., MTSOs, billing companies, coding companies, medical device companies, pharmaceutical companies)

Page 35

*Hospital pays Transcription Company/Subcontractor with Federal money.

*Thus, False Claims Act applies to Transcription Company/Subcontractor.

Page 36

Definition of “False Claim”

*A claim which the billing person or company actually knows to be false.

*A claim, the accuracy of which was deliberately ignored by the person or company making the claim.

*A claim, the accuracy of which was recklessly disregarded by the person or company making the claim.

*ADVICE – Check and double-check the accuracy of a bill for services prior to presenting it to your customers.

MY COMMENT:  ICs are going to have their bills scrutinized to death. 

Page 37

False Claims Act

Scenarios

*MTSO submits invoices with inflated line counts to hospital

*Ambiguous line definitions

*HIM Director fails to independently verify line counts

*MTSO bills for STAT when normal TAT was requested

MY COMMENT:  “Ambiguous line definitions.”  Sounds like the perfect time for MTSOs to say:  “Sorry, due to government regulations, we are being FORCED to pay by VBC.”  Or ICs that work for MTSOs may become extinct because the MTSO does not want to pay their billing company to double and triple check IC submissions.

Page 38

Penalties

*Between $5,500 and $11,000 per claim, plus 3 times the amount of damages sustained by the Government for each claim.

*The penalties can add up very quickly.

Page 39

Qui Tam Provisions of the FCA

The qui tam provisions of the FCA allow private persons, called “relators,” (a.k.a. whistleblowers) to bring civil false claims actions on behalf of the government.

Page 42

Other Legal Issues

*Labor issues

  -Employees v. independent contractors

*Tax

*Healthcare reform

MY COMMENT:  “Employees v. independent contractors.”  Again, it sounds like IC positions may be in jeopardy. 

Hope I am interpreting these changes wrong, but I have a feeling there are going to be some major changes in the Medical Transcription business in the next 12 months.  Of course, they will never tell their employees what they are planning until they decide to fire all of us. 

How to you interpret this information?    

Chase Transcriptions does

Anyone hear of them or work for them? They use StenTel ASP Word based platform. Anyone use that or heard of it?

Thanks!

Has anyone ever worked for Gant Transcriptions?

TIA!

Has anyone ever worked for Gant Transcriptions?

Does anyone know about this company?  Pros, cons, etc.  Thanks. 

Dont work for this company. the owner Linda, holds checks & will tell you its in the mail. Then she will blame it on the postal system. she will try to cheat you out of lines, & god forbide you submit your invoice after the 1pm cutoff time, she wont pay you until a month and a half later.

Did anyone apply or get hired by Chase Transcriptions?  I am curious to know the pros and cons from current employees.  If I apply and am hired for part-time, do they allow you to choose your schedule or is it assigned? 

Thanks so much!!!! 

I was wanting to know any good or bad on them, as I cannot find anything on them.  Thanks.

This company is in Michigan.  Give me the good, bad, and ugly on them please.

tx

TTS is Transcription, Techonlogy and Support.  Nothing in archives on either.

 .

Any information on this company is greatly appreciated.