News & Insights

This article contains information from OCR, CDC, FBI and CISA regarding cybersecurity and social engineering.

The HHS/OCR has issued a notification of enforcement discretion as to allowable uses and disclosures of PHI by business associates (BA) for public hea...

The presentation will provide an overview of the types of assistance available for small business with particular emphasis on the healthcare specific...

The LSBME provided straightforward guidance about Board changes to parts or clauses of certain rules due to the COVID-19 pandemic and proclamations by...

On March 30, 2020 CMS issued guidance providing additional flexibilities for hospitals to set up temporary expansion sites to increase capacity to car...

On Thursday, April 9, 2020 at 12 p.m., employment attorneys A. Kevin Troutman and Lariza Hebert will present a 90-minute webinar on the Families First...

In honor of National Doctors’ Day, we would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to physicians who have dedicated their lives to carin...

Louisiana Department of Insurance has issued Emergency Rule 40 placing a moratorium on cancellation and nonrenewal of insurance. This applies to your...

OCR guidance clarifies the regulatory permissions that covered entities may use to disclose Protected Health Information (PHI) to first responders and...

When conducting telemedicine consultations, physicians should look to the patient’s state for guidance on the rules for telemedicine and the requireme...

(Updated 3/27/2020 at 2 p.m.)  COVID-19 has been added to the Class A Diseases in the State of Louisiana, which means that physicians have a m...

Arkansas physicians and other healthcare providers have immediate mandatory reporting obligations to the Arkansas Health Department (ADH) of confirmed...

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, LAMMICO has received many questions similar to the following: “A patient is presently located out...

The Louisiana Department of Insurance (DOI) issued Emergency Rules 36 and 37 on March 17 and 23, 2020, respectively, which will remain in effect until...

Healthcare is now being rerouted from face-to-face encounters to delivery via telehealth.

As medical providers continue to work, it must be considered how the actions by federal, state and local authorities might affect litigation between C...

Telehealth/Telemedicine (telehealth) coverage for patients located within an insured provider's state is already covered by your LAMMICO policy.

The OCR recently issued a Notification announcing OCR will waive potential HIPAA penalties against healthcare providers in connection with their good...

The Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health (LDH/OPH) recently adopted an Emergency Rule that adds coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)...

LAMMICO is closely monitoring the developments of COVID-19 in order to ensure continuity of service to our insureds and to protect our employees.

The case suggests that federal courts may be reluctant to allow plaintiff attorneys to add hospital defendants using allegations that properly fall wi...

Cybersecurity is one of the biggest issues facing the healthcare community today.

LAMMICO is offering two new one-hour education courses on “Workplace Violence in Ambulatory Care”—one for physicians and one for practice managers.

LAMMICO has created two new educational activities to help with documentation in the electronic health record.

Physicians who treat patients for pain may benefit from reviewing a report from HHS called Pain Management Best Practices.

The 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule is being promoted by CMS as a vehicle to reduce clinical burden, ensure appropriate payment for Me...

Practice managers can now access a report of their insured physicians’ and healthcare providers’ LAMMICO Risk Management (RM) Credit Balance.

Physicians and other healthcare providers can prepare for more widespread cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus by taking advantage of these resources.

Approximately 400 physicians in the U.S., more than one per day, die by suicide each year.

There is a new feature on LAMMICO’s website available for practice managers and staff. After logging in as a Member on lammico.com, practice man...

Wishing you and your families a very happy and healthy holiday season!

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has promulgated rules that modify hospital licensure requirements that may affect certain hospitals. This rul...

A large quality improvement project has demonstrated that when facilities follow an enhanced recovery protocol for patients undergoing bariatric surge...

In late September 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the Omnibus Burden Reduction (Conditions of Participation) Fi...

Is your hospital ensuring that your affiliated practices and clinics are adopting policies and procedures to account for deaf and hard of hearing pati...

LAMMICO’s Patient Safety Award and Grant program is entering its fifth year. Since inception of the program, we’ve given more than $40,000...

The patient safety organization ECRI Institute released its 2020 list of the top 10 technology hazards in healthcare facilities.

In 2020, The Central Line will move to an email newsletter format and will no longer be mailed in a hardcopy edition three times a year.

On December 4, 2019, the LAMMICO Board of Directors declared a 5% dividend, marking the 13th consecutive dividend since 2008.

LAMMICO's Cyber Liability Insurance partner, NAS Insurance Services, LLC (NAS), was recently acquired by Tokio Marine HCC.

Beginning with January 1, 2020 renewals, rate changes as approved by our independent actuary and the Louisiana Department of Insurance represent an ov...

Act 426 of 2019 now requires prescribers to indicate on the prescription that more than a 7-day supply of an opioid is medically necessary.

LAMMICO has produced a new series of controlled substance education to meet the requirements of Arkansas and Mississippi laws, in addition to our exis...

A recent uptick in filings of federal suits against healthcare providers for alleged discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), p...

The LSBME recently amended its telemedicine Rules so that it would not inadvertently prevent physicians from prescribing medication or providing other...

Some of the biggest issues related to NPP billing have to do with the concept of “Incident to.”

If you submitted 2018 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) data, you can now view your performance feedback including your 2018 MIPS final scor...

We congratulate the following recipients who have been honored for the 2019 medical school year: Alex Miller, Pranav Bhargava and Hunter F. Douglas.

Congratulations to the recipient of the 4th Annual LAMMICO Patient Safety Award and Grant: Jennings American Legion Hospital in Jennings, Louisiana, w...

Plaintiffs frequently test the boundaries of the Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act (LMMA) by arguing the defendant healthcare provider’s alleged negli...

Did you know that all LAMMICO insured hospitals and eligible ambulatory surgery centers could earn up to a 10% discount on their LAMMICO renewal premi...

LAMMICO offers insureds an annual opportunity to earn a 10% discount on their premium for completing risk management education.

The handoff in medicine has been defined as a process “in which patient care and accountability is transferred from one clinician (or team of clinicia...

Cybersecurity is one of the biggest issues facing the healthcare community today. The best way to protect your organization is to be proactive and rem...

LAMMICO supports our long-time insureds, Dr. Abraham and Dr. Lord, as they run for elected offices in Louisiana.

Failing to properly enroll in the PCF or choosing to not participate in the PCF, could leave you exposed to uncapped claims.

Individuals throughout an organization have the ability to expose their organization to a wide range of security threats simply because they are consi...

Physician burnout is costing the U.S. about $4.6 billion annually. LAMMICO offers resources to help healthcare providers avoid burnout.

As hurricane season heats up, we recommend that you review the checklist below to ensure that you’re prepared in the event of a flood.

Failure to follow-up or communicate test results can contribute to allegations of malpractice against a healthcare provider. One way to prevent this i...

According to a recent study by Comparitech, medical and health records have become the top target for cybersecurity attacks over the past three years.

Physicians may not realize that they are establishing a physician/patient relationship when performing an IME.

Compliance with applicable laws regarding deaf and hard of hearing patients can be confusing, onerous, and costly, but smart and tactful planning in c...

AM Best recently awarded LAMMICO an “A” (Excellent) rating for 2018.

On June 28, 2019, CMS made available Comparative Billing Reports (CBRs) to dermatologists enrolled in the Medicare program. CMS has scheduled a free w...

An Ohio urology practice was allegedly hacked earlier this month and agreed to pay a $75,000 ransom to unlock its computer system. However, there are...

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has contracted with Guidehouse to conduct data validation and audits of a select number of Merit-ba...

J. Michael Conerly, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of LAMMICO, was elected to serve a three-year term on the Medical Professional Liabili...

LAMMICO has created an online Physician Job Board as a tool for insureds to post and find open physician positions and to help practices fill open job...

LAMMICO reminds policyholders of resources available to help you prepare in the event of a weather emergency to limit disruption to your practice.

A message from President/CEO J. Michael Conerly, M.D., MBA, on his new role as President and CEO of LAMMICO.

LAMMICO’s new one-hour continuing education course, “Workplace Violence in Ambulatory Care,” can guide you through a process that will bolster your pr...

Our upcoming webinars offer CME and Risk Management Premium Discount Credit that may be used to reduce the basic limits portion of your LAMMICO insura...

Every medical practice should be aware of the distinction between the “consent” of an individual and the requirement of an “authorization” by the indi...

LAMMICO wants to take this opportunity to recognize Dr. Hines because of his significant contributions on behalf of Louisiana physicians.

Due to the PCF's recent action regarding Practice Protection Fund, many healthcare providers needed to find a new underlying carrier in order to stay...

In celebration of National Nurses Week, here are a few ways that LAMMICO supports our nurses.

The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy announced a third party platform that allows integration between the Louisiana Prescription Monitoring Program (LA PMP...

A new state law called Billing by Contracted Healthcare Providers went into effect August 1, 2018.

In February, the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy announced a third party platform that allows integration between the Louisiana Prescription Monitoring Pr...

Louisiana’s Health Care Consumer Billing and Disclosure Protection Act, La. R.S. 22:1871, et seq., prevents a provider from “attempting to collect fro...

The Board of Directors of LAMMICO elected J. Michael Conerly, M.D., to serve as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1, 2019. Since...

For healthcare providers, complying with disability laws is not always easy. Patients with disabilities need different things, and doing the right thi...

Failure to rescue is a concept that espouses the idea that clinicians should be able to quickly identify when a patient is developing deteriorating sy...

As part of an ongoing effort to provide robust education about current topics and trends in patient safety and risk management, LAMMICO’s subsidiary r...

     Congratulations to the recipient of the 4th Annual LAMMICO Patient Safety Award and Grant: Jennings American Legion Hospital in...

Happy holidays from all of us at LAMMICO!

The Board has elected Frederick J. White, III, M.D., as LAMMICO's Chairman of the Board effective January 1, 2019.

A Connecticut allergy practice has agreed to pay the OCR $125,000 and adopt a corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the HIPAA Priva...

Effective August 1, 2018, Louisiana has a new and expanded definition of personal private information.

At the end of a person's life, his or her family may have very different views on medical care, putting the healthcare provider in the middle of famil...

Many healthcare providers likely don’t know that certain types of surgical procedures performed in an office require specialized record-keeping.

Physician burnout has been present for about 20 years, but it has not been actively acknowledged until the past decade. We present some details about...

An example of a claim that resulted in an uncapped exposure is discussed - a claim brought by a third-party alleging negligent discharge.

Beginning with January 1, 2019 renewals, rate changes as approved by our independent actuary and the Louisiana Department of Insurance represent an ov...

Under the Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act (“the Act”), damages are limited or “capped” at $500,000 plus medical expenses in cases filed against heal...

The LAMMICO Risk Management Hospital Premium Discount Program was established to reward hospitals and eligible ambulatory surgery centers that improve...

Could the healthcare professionals at your facility be carefully following hand hygiene protocols but still spreading bacteria via their stethoscopes?...

You can still avoid a QPP Penalty without an EHR! Do you see the N700 remark code on your Medicare EOBs? If your EOBs from Medicare include this remar...

In today’s constant barrage of technology warnings, it is easy to overlook the dusty old fax machine in the corner.

News about cybersecurity threats fills our inboxes daily, and the information can be difficult to process. As cybersecurity threats and regulations co...

Is a staff member’s use of a patient’s full name in the waiting room considered a HIPAA violation?

The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME) and the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) have issued congruent rules governing physician...

To address this growing and often unrecognized issue of nursing burnout, LAMMICO has developed a continuing education program designed specifically fo...

The ADA compels healthcare providers to accommodate patients with disabilities, including allowing some types of animals in the treatment room.

The applicable laws relating to audio-visual recording in a healthcare setting are frequently misunderstood.

LAMMICO insures hospitals, facilities, physicians and mid-level providers – giving you the benefit of working with a single carrier to effectively cov...

There are still a lot of pieces that need to fall in place before a Louisiana patient can walk into a medical office and ask for marijuana.

Organizations should consider whether their process for disposing of electronic devices and media does so in a secure manner.

One of the most talked about recommendations of the 2019 QPP Proposed Rule is the proposed changes to the current Evaluation and Management (E&M) code...

One effective but underused technological shield healthcare providers can wield against modern-day security attacks is encryption: usually free, readi...

What should you do if a federal investigative agent shows up at the door of the company that you work for?

There are many things that healthcare providers or their office staff do that could potentially result in a False Claims audit or investigation.

The LSBME and the LSBN have issued congruent rules governing physician collaboration with APRNs required to have a collaborative practice agreement.

Log in as a Member at LAMMICO.com to access Practice Solutions’ newest resources on HIPAA.

Breaches are not always accidents. Current and former healthcare employees are the biggest threats to patient HIPAA privacy.

If you don’t check federal and state exclusion lists, you may not be able to keep the payment checks!

The waiver of coinsurance and deductibles owed by patients treated by physicians and other health care providers has come under increased scrutiny rec...

The opioid overdose crisis has brought significant regulatory changes to how, when, and why prescribers may order controlled pain medication.

Three MIPS performance categories have measures and activities that directly relate to the prescribing and management of opioids in a physician practi...

Congratulations to the recipient of the 3rd Annual LAMMICO Patient Safety Award & Grant: Specialists Hospital Shreveport.

Elatas Risk Partners is dedicated to helping your business succeed by tailoring insurance portfolios to fulfill your unique needs.

After more than 20 years with LAMMICO, Thomas H. Grimstad, M.D., has announced his retirement as President and CEO effective March 1, 2019.

Thomas H. Grimstad, M.D., has announced his retirement as LAMMICO President and CEO effective March 1, 2019.

Several federal and state laws govern how practices and hospitals should treat patients with hearing difficulties or who do not speak English.

Providers must check the federal and state exclusion databases for all employees, owners, managers and providers in their practices to avoid monetary...

LAMMICO offers guidance to our insureds facing a claim through our Litigation Stress Management Seminar.

Congratulations to the recipient of the 3rd Annual LAMMICO Patient Safety Award & Grant: Specialists Hospital Shreveport.

Utilize LAMMICO's online Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) courses and earn 5% off your hospital base premium.

Congratulations to the recipient of the 3rd Annual LAMMICO Patient Safety Award & Grant: Specialists Hospital Shreveport.

LAMMICO is linking the 2018-2019 Award and Grant Program to its online educational activity entitled “Nurse Well-Being: The Burnout Dilemma.”

Hospitals must work harder than ever to track the influx of medical device communications and recalls.

To reduce falls, every hospital employee should be on the lookout for the conditions that cause them.