Copy-and-Paste Functions in Electronic Health Records Raises Health Care Fraud Concerns

An audit by the Department of the Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General found that most hospitals don't have policies about copying and pasting health information in electronic health records, iHealthBeat reports. That could lead to health care fraud and abuse such as fraudulent billing and incorrect information being entered into patient records. Only 24% of hospitals had a policy regarding the "improper use of copy-and-paste functions within EHR systems," iHealthBeat further reports.

Separately, Government Health IT reports that earlier this month the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services decided to propose a delay in the next two stages of its program to incentivize healthcare providers to adopt "meaningful use" of electronic health records in exchange for governmental incentives.