In an effort to address cybersecurity threats in hospitals in New York, the state Department of Health proposed a new rule in December aimed at safeguarding hospital systems and nonpublic information. The proposed regulation, which is open for public comment until Feb. 5, would require hospitals to ... READ MORE >
New York hospitals face new cybersecurity rules. Will other states follow?
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, approximately 85 million patients have had their personal information compromised through the first nine months of 2023, compared with 38 million in the same time period in 2022 and 43.9 million in 2021. Nearly 25% of ... READ MORE >
Reimagining rural health care with integrated networks
Most recently, 23 critical access hospitals in North Dakota created a clinically integrated network which intends to enhance primary care, referrals and chronic care management by participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program. The network plans to invest in telehealth, quality improvement and IT ... READ MORE >
Inflation Reduction Act could provide clean energy tax credits for health care organizations and investors
The Inflation Reduction Act, enacted on Aug. 16, 2022, is the largest public-sector investment in clean energy in United States history. It provides a wide range of tax credits and other incentives for businesses, including health care organizations, to invest in assets that promote decarbonization ... READ MORE >
As physicians are strained by surging demand, AI may provide relief
Physicians are facing a growing challenge as they face a surge in demand for their services. Visits per physician office this year have grown by a staggering 30%, far higher than the rate in 2019, before the pandemic, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But health ... READ MORE >
Risk of losing tax-exempt status could be disruption for many nonprofit hospitals
The tax-exempt status of nonprofit hospitals faces legislative scrutiny as members of Congress discuss the tax-exemption benefit and whether it equates to the value these organizations provide to their local communities. In April, the House Committee on Ways and Means addressed the matter with a ... READ MORE >
ChatGPT could help overburdened physicians, but careful evaluation is needed
Health care’s post-pandemic lurch into the virtual world has challenged physicians to continuously communicate with their patients as they provide ongoing care. However, as the patient-doctor relationship has evolved, physicians have found themselves responding to sometimes thousands of patient messages ... READ MORE >
Health care and cybersecurity insurance: The importance of understanding your organization’s coverage
Over the past decade, cybersecurity breaches in health care have become more pervasive and costly, and the nature of the attacks have changed. And while cyber insurance could be a way to protect organizations from these costly threats, there’s much to consider about this coverage. At one time ... READ MORE >