Health Care

Guide to complying with laws and regulations that apply to health care businesses and the health care industry.

Antitrust

• Competition in the Health Care Marketplace
  Frequently asked advertising questions, compliance guides, fact sheets, policy statements, and staff comments on various advertising issues.

Environmental Compliance

• Environmental Compliance Assistance Guide for Hospitals
  Provide links to available checklists, guidance documents, websites, hotlines, and other compliance assistance tools that were developed to help hospitals comply with federal environmental requirements.
  
  
• Mercury : Information for Health Care Providers
  Medical facilities use a large variety of mercury-containing equipment and products. This page provides resources relating to issues of particular concern to people who work in the health care industry,
  
  
• Workshop Presentations for Hospital Environmental Staff
  Links to presentations made at seminars covering the hospital and healthcare facility compliance with environmental regulations.
  

Eye Care

• Contact Lens Rule : A Guide for Prescribers and Sellers
  This fact sheet is guide for prescribers and sellers of contact lens.
  
  
• Marketing of Refractive Eye Care Surgery : Guidance for Eye Care Providers
  This policy statement provides guidance to eye care providers that market their professional services.
  

Facilities Management

• Energy Solutions for Health Care Facilities
  Dept. of Energy provides a building design guide for reducing energy and maintenance costs.
  
  
• FHA Mortgage Insurance for Hospitals
  The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) helps hospitals access affordable financing for capital projects. Find information on the application process and minimum eligibility requirements.
  
  
• Hill-Burton Facilities
  Provides compliance guidance for Hill-Burton grant recipient hospitals and health care facilities that are still obligated to provide free or reduced-cost care.
  
  
• Mortgage Insurance for Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities
  Section 232 insures mortgage loans to facilitate the construction and substantial rehabilitation of nursing homes, intermediate care facilities, board and care homes, and assisted-living facilities.
  

HIPAA

• HIPAA : Frequently Asked Questions
  Questions and answers about HIPAA, which amended ERISA to provide new rights and responsibilities for participants and beneficiaries in group health plans, especially when changing jobs or losing health coverage.
  
  
• HIPAA Guide for Small Providers, Small Health Plans and Small Businesses
  Guide to HIPAA privacy rule resources useful to small entities.
  
  
• HIPAA Web Portal
  One-stop resource for finding regulatory guidance concerning national standards for protecting the privacy of personal health information.
  
  
• Health Insurance Reform Information for Employers
  Provides information on HIPAA and health insurance reform for employers.
  

Mammography Services

• Mammography Facility Certification and Inspection
  Information for mammography facility personnel, inspectors, and consumers about the implementation of the Mammography Quality Standards Act of 1992 (MQSA).
  
  
• Quality Standards Compliance for Mammography Facilities
  A brief overview of FDA certification requirements for all health care facilities providing mammography services.
  

Medical Device Reporting

• Medical Device Reporting for User Facilities
  Under the Safety Medical Devices Act, health care facilities must report deaths and serious injuries caused by a medical device to the FDA and device manufacturer. This guide provides comprehensive information on how to comply with reporting requirements.
  
  
• Nursing Homes : Applying the Safe Medical Devices Act
  Fact sheet describing requirements for nursing homes to report deaths and injuries caused by the use of medical devices.
  

Medical Practitioners

• National Practitioner Data Bank
  Assists covered entities to comply with legal requirement to report health professional malpractice and disciplinary actions and to query data bank when hiring or granting privileges.
  

Medicare & Medicaid

• Certification and Compliance, Medicare and Medicaid
  Suppliers and providers of Medicare and Medicaid programs must meet these minimum health and safety standards.
  
  
• Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments
  All clinical laboratories must be properly certified to receive Medicare or Medicaid payments
  
  
• Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA)
  Specific obligations for Medicare-participating hospitals that offer emergency services to provide a medical screening examination (MSE) when a request is made for examination or treatment for an emergency medical condition (EMC).
  
  
• Medicare : Application of the False Claims Act to Hospital Billing Practices
  Information on the enforcement of the False Claims Act, and how Medicare providers can ensure compliance and avoid legal prosecution under the Act.
  
  
• Medicare Coordination of Benefits : Employer Services
  Employers must provide the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) with information regarding health coverage of their Medicare-eligible workers and spouses of Medicare-eligible individuals whenever CMS identifies those individuals to the employer.
  
  
• Medicare Survey and Certification : Guidance to Laws and Regulations
  Provides information on the standards used to survey the quality of operations of health care facilities.
  
  
• Medicare and Medicaid Providers' Portal
  Browse regulatory guidance by specific type of health care facility or provider.
  
  
• Medicare/Medicaid Conditions of Participation and Conditions of Coverage for Health Care Organizations
  Conditions of Participation (CoPs) and Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) that health care organizations must meet in order to begin and continue participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
  

Taxes

• Health Care Provider Tax Reference Guide
  Provides an introduction to and aid in the processing of IRC 501(c)(3) exemption applications submitted by health care providers, including issues to keep in mind in evaluating whether activities that promote health are also charitable.
  
  
• Tax-Exempt Hospitals, Compliance Check Questionnaire
  IRS Form 13790 is used to determine tax-exempt status for hospitals.
  

Workplace Health & Safety

• Health Care Facilities Workplace Health and Safety Guide
  OSHA's guide to occupational health and safety regulations affecting all types of healthcare facilities.
  
  
• Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act : FAQs
  Information about complying with the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, which includes requirements for employers to identify, evaluate, and implement safer medical devices.
  
  
• OSHA eTool : Hospital
  There are many occupational health and safety hazards throughout the hospital. This eTool focuses on some of the hazards and controls found in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
  
  
• OSHA eTool : Nursing Home
  This eTool is designed to help nursing home employers identify and address potential occupational hazards in the nursing home industry. This is done through a comprehensive safety and health management program approach. It includes modules on: blood borne pathogens; ergonomics; machine guarding; personal protective equipment; workplace violence; and an OSHA technical manual.