NJ Hospitals Merger Blocked by Court
Health. Tuesday’s decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals officially ends the NJ hospitals’ plans to merge.
NJ Non-profit Hospitals Get Tax Break
A 2021 law drafted as a compromise between tax-exempt non-profit hospitals and the NJ municipalities in which they’re located is being challenged by a lawsuit. State legislators tried to address the dispute, where billion-dollar hospitals paid little to nothing in property taxes, with the law. A 2015 court ruling found that Morristown Medical Center was liable for taxes as a result of operating in large part as a for-profit organization.
Security Flaw Requires Windows Update
A serious security flaw called PrintNightmare in Windows 10 and other versions requires an immediate patch per Microsoft. The Print Spooler service can be exploited to allow attackers to install applications and view, modify, or delete data. New user accounts could also be created to allow access to bad actors.
The security flaw is present in multiple versions of the Windows operating system.
UHC to Deny Claims for “Non-Emergencies”
The US’ largest health insurer, UnitedHealthcare, is delaying a controversial new policy. Emergency room visits considered “non-emergent” may be partially or fully denied coverage. The policy to deny claims was set to go into effect on July 1. However, UHC is now delaying implementation at least until the pandemic is over.
American Hospital Association president Richard Pollack rebuked the plan in a public letter to UHC’s CEO.
World Password Day
The first Thursday in May is World Password Day, a great reminder to review your passwords and practices. While all computer and mobile device users should think about security, it’s even more critical for the healthcare industry.
Too many people still rely on easy-to-remember words and dates for their logins. Being easy to remember can unfortunately make them easy to guess or crack.
Coalition Advocates for Home-Based Care
It’s been demonstrated that healthcare providers can see patients who are at home (or anywhere). Moving Health Home, a coalition of healthcare companies including Amazon Care, is now educating and lobbying officials and policymakers in support of home-based care. The group supports increased coverage for home care services and bundled payments.
In addition to Amazon’s foray into healthcare,
Medical Reimbursement by VCC Costs Practices Money
Insurance carriers are increasingly resorting to reimbursing medical claims using virtual credit cards (VCCs), but the convenience to healthcare providers is offset by the loss of some of that medical reimbursement to transaction fees.
While being paid via VCC is a more efficient reimbursement than the paper checks of yore, they aren’t legally considered “electronic”
CISA Warns Google Chrome Users to Update
Google and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the Department of Homeland Security warned users of the Chrome browser to update the application, as the latest update includes two security fixes to address high-severity zero-day vulnerabilities.
The security flaws “have been detected in exploits in the wild”
Ransomware Attacks Against Hospitals on the Rise
A warning advisory issued by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on October 28, 2020 notes an increase in attacks on healthcare systems and providers. Co-authored by CISA, the FBI, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the advisory warns that the three agencies “have credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to US hospitals and healthcare providers,”