http://www.infinisource.net/Rss/HIPAA-Portability.ashx HIPAA Portability - News & Review 10 The privacy and security of health records will be a major focus of several governmental agencies in 2009. In addition to regulations on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (expected in May), two separate sets of rules were issued in April 2009 that are required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=1ea4f6a1-3c10-48f5-beec-48ca042e4684 Wednesday, May 06, 2009 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued proposed regulations on the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, a law that was passed last year to prohibit genetic information discrimination in various aspects of the workplace, including group health plans and employment. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=8df54ee2-bc48-4ccc-880b-3fcdf6f77508 Sunday, April 05, 2009 Not only did the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) significantly modify COBRA administration, it made several major changes to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, mandating that a new set of regulations be issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=8cc37e07-90a1-4b59-9d25-3e1ace45579e Wednesday, March 04, 2009 When the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) became law on February 4, 2009, primary attention was on how CHIPRA expands the state children’s health insurance program (CHIP), which had been scheduled to expire on March 31, 2009. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=4ce2fb9f-1b7a-4f91-b48d-a493584b5eb9 Wednesday, March 04, 2009 For many employers with group health plans, complying with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules has been a backburner issue for a few years, now that the initial compliance deadlines have long since passed. Taking HIPAA compliance lightly, though, can be a big mistake. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=09d81045-0d02-4c03-b1e1-b18daf57a711 Wednesday, March 04, 2009 The HIPAA Privacy Rule has been in place for several years, but compliance continues to be a challenge in an increasingly electronic world. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a toolkit calledThe HIPAA Privacy Rule and Electronic Health Information Exchange in a Networked Environment. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=96164aa6-1581-4a47-9238-179329db72e2 Thursday, February 05, 2009 The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services that enforces HIPAA Privacy rules. Recently, OCR issued a series of articles entitled "The HIPAA Privacy Rule and Electronic Health Information Exchange in a Networked Environment" to help those who work with protected health information (PHI) in an increasingly electronic world. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=cdafca7f-c43d-4b66-8ee0-2a3e2325e2e7 Thursday, January 15, 2009 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in July that a Seattle hospice and home care provider agreed to pay a $100,000 fine for HIPAA privacy and security violations. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=9bd3594d-cf8a-41d3-82de-b06493dda2ef Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Some benefits are excepted from the HIPAA portability regulations. These benefits include "supplemental" coverage under a separate policy, certificate, or contract of insurance. In December 2007, the DOL issued safe harbor rules in Field Assistance Bulletin 2007-04 concerning what "supplemental" coverage is exempt from HIPAA's portability rules under this exception, noting that the IRS is also responsible for enforcement. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=187413a7-458d-43c2-8ee5-fdb08f8dd842 Tuesday, March 11, 2008 ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=b20eed4d-b3ce-43ae-b599-c80af9c41488 Monday, January 07, 2008 It is a familiar scenario when employers change health insurance carriers. Before the new policy takes effect, participants complete an application. Space is provided for reporting any preexisting conditions or likely surgeries. Because of HIPAA, these conditions typically may not be excluded, but the carrier takes them into account in determining the overall premium. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=91d3a953-c8e0-4616-9a14-fa1a554dd1e6 Monday, July 09, 2007 Perhaps you cannot feel the ground trembling yet, but certainly distant echoes signal that a new emphasis on HIPAA privacy and security enforcement is on its way. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=8df2b4a0-d542-49ea-b78b-b02459182400 Monday, May 07, 2007