One of my favorite stories is about an experiment in which participants were given glasses that made them see the world upside down. Of course, the participants were miserable and disoriented and wanted to quit the experiment but after three days something quite spectacular started to happen: the participants started to realize that they were no longer seeing the world as upside down, but as right-side up. It had taken their brains three days to start to adjust to the situation and adapt accordingly. I like to think the point of the story is that people can adapt to just about anything, given the appropriate resources, which in this case, was time.
The Medicaid Enterprise is subject to frequent changes in federal and state statutes, regulations, and policy interpretations. When these changes occur, such as the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (also known as the ACA or ObamaCare), it can seem like someone stuck those crazy glasses on our faces and life as we know it has turned upside down. So, how are we supposed to adjust to confusing and disorienting situations like that, and what are the appropriate resources? The answer is simple and exactly what netlogx strives to provide to our clients: the right information at the right time. As part of our strategy to provide this information, netlogx is currently utilizing the Policy WorX Compliance Monitor tool which is provided by a company called The Policy Collective.
Through the Compliance Monitor, registered users are sent a daily email alert that includes a list of all newly-released regulatory guidance documents from the nine distinct operating divisions within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The email includes the agency responsible for releasing the document, the type of document, the release date and document number, as well as the title and link to the actual document itself. With these alerts, netlogx is able to have accurate, up-to-date information from the federal sources all in one place, which keeps us on top of critical healthcare compliance requirements as they are released.
We use the information provided in the email alerts to track and analyze federal regulatory documents, enabling us to provide our clients with the right information at the right time. In short, netlogx can help answer the “What does this mean for us?” question by:
- Translating confusing regulatory language into easily understood information
- Indicating what, if any, action is necessary
- Defining potential business impacts
- Providing a mechanism to track regulatory compliance
- Communicating the appropriate details to the appropriate stakeholders
Ultimately, these email alerts help netlogx save time and money, which assists us in helping our clients turn their world right-side up again by becoming better, faster, and cheaper.
Submitted by Katie Ferguson
Katie is a Project Coordinator with over four years of experience in healthcare administration.