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Liza Khan

Liza Khan practices in the areas of federal-state programs and health care. Ms. Khan helps clients navigate state and federal rules and policies, including those governing the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Ms. Khan regularly counsels clients on the new mandates of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid price reporting issues, coverage and reimbursement of drugs and devices under federal health care programs, Medicaid Section 1115 demonstration waivers, among other issues.

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Bipartisan Bill To Test Telehealth Services for Medicare Beneficiaries

By Liza Khan on Posted in Telehealth
Last week, Senators Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced new legislation to test expanded Medicare coverage of telehealth services.  The Telehealth Innovation and Improvement Act requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to allow selected, eligible hospitals to offer telehealth services in cooperation with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation … Continue Reading

ONC Releases 2016 Interoperability Standards Advisory

By Liza Khan on Posted in Uncategorized
On December 22, 2015, the ONC released the 2016 Interoperability Standards Advisory, which is meant to serve as a “single resource for those looking for federally recognized, national interoperability standards and guidance,” according to ONC’s Director of the Office of Standards and Technology Steven Posnack, MS, MHS, and Director of HIT Infrastructure and Innovation Division … Continue Reading

HealthCare.gov to Launch Open Enrollment for 2016 Plan Year on November 1, 2016

By Liza Khan on Posted in Health Information Exchanges
Open enrollment for 2016 marketplace exchange plans begins Sunday, November 1. Individuals and families will be able to enroll, re-enroll, or change their health plans from November 1, 2015 through January 31, 2016. Several new features have been added to HealthCare.gov to ease enrollment for consumers. For the first time, consumers may preview 2016 exchange … Continue Reading

E-Prescribing of Controlled Substances Now Permissible in All States.

By Liza Khan on Posted in Uncategorized
The state of Missouri has promulgated regulations effective July 30, 2015 that formally authorize electronic prescribing of controlled substances in Missouri. With these new regulations, Missouri becomes the final state to allow electronic prescribing of controlled substances. Although the Drug Enforcement Administration implemented changes in 2010 to permit electronic prescribing of such drugs, some states, … Continue Reading

Department of Defense Contract To Overhaul Electronic Health Records System

By Liza Khan on Posted in Data Security, EHR/EMR, Government Contracting, Health Data, Health Information Exchanges
The Department of Defense (DOD) is expected to select a contractor sometime this summer to modernize its electronic health records (EHR) system. The DOD’s $11 billion Healthcare Management Systems Modernization Electronic Health Record program will replace the agency’s existing EHR system, which supports more than 9.7 million beneficiaries, including active duty personnel, retirees, and their … Continue Reading

FTC Staff Submit Comments On ONC’s Draft Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap

By Liza Khan on Posted in Uncategorized
The Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) Office of Policy Planning, Bureau of Competition, Bureau of Consumer Protection, and Bureau of Economics recently submitted comments on the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC’s) draft Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap (“Roadmap”). As discussed in previous posts, this Roadmap sets forth a ten year plan to … Continue Reading

Michigan Launches First Medicaid Mobile Application

By Liza Khan on Posted in Health Data, Medical Apps
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) recently released the nation’s first Medicaid mobile health application, called myHealthButton, and an online portal, myHealthPortal, that allows patients to access their medical information and available health resources remotely and in real-time.  The applications are available to current members enrolled with the Michigan Medicaid program, the Children’s Special … Continue Reading

HIPAA 2015 Enforcement Priorities Highlight Cyber Threats, But Timing of HIPAA Compliance Audits Still Uncertain

By Liza Khan on Posted in Cybersecurity, Data Security, Health Data, HIPAA and Data Privacy
On January 13, 2015, Jocelyn Samuels, director of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, briefed reporters on the agency’s HIPAA enforcement priorities, noting a focus on threats to electronic health information, or ePHI.  Samuels highlighted an increase in infiltration of computer networks reported under the breach … Continue Reading

Recent HIPAA Settlement Highlights Need to Address Software Risks

By Liza Khan on Posted in Data Security, HIPAA and Data Privacy
On December 2, 2014, the Anchorage Community Mental Health Services (ACMHS) agreed to pay $150,000 under a settlement agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule.  ACMHS entered the settlement agreement … Continue Reading

Updates to Healthcare.gov for Open Enrollment

By Liza Khan on Posted in Insurance
With open enrollment fast approaching, the Obama administration is planning several changes to HealthCare.gov to ease enrollment in insurance plans and avoid last year’s problems, when the site crashed upon launch.  These changes include:  A 16-screen application, reduced from 76 screens in the 2014 enrollment; The addition of a “back button” that will allow enrollees … Continue Reading

Veterans Affairs Telehealth Services Climbs in FY2014

By Liza Khan on Posted in Telehealth
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced that its national telehealth programs served more than 690,000 veterans, or 12 percent of the total VA healthcare population, in fiscal year 2014.  Patients using these telehealth programs were able to access more than 44 clinical specialties, including rehabilitation, primary care, mental health, and dermatology.  Telehealth visits … Continue Reading

HIPAA Privacy Rule Extended To Same-Sex Spouses

By Liza Khan on Posted in HIPAA and Data Privacy
 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently released guidance extending Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule protections for family members to same-sex spouses, in light of the 2013 Supreme Court ruling in United States v. Windsor. The HIPAA Privacy Rule grants consumers certain privacy rights with … Continue Reading

New Blue Button Toolkit Eases Health Data Sharing

By Liza Khan on Posted in Medical Apps
The Blue Button Initiative, a public-private collaboration between the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC), the White House, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Defense, and multiple private sector organizations, recently launched a Blue Button Toolkit to help health care organizations provide consumers with … Continue Reading
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