New HIPAA Regulations Taking Effect April 21
Sunrise, Florida (April 21, 2006) – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) new security rule mandates that covered entities safeguard protected health information that is electronically stored and transmitted. The deadline for small health plans with annual receipts of $5 million or less is April 21, 2006.
Unfortunately for employers, the new rule is neither brief nor simple, says Ashley Kaplan, head of the Sunrise-based G.Neil Corp. labor law team.
“The HIPAA security rule mandates highly detailed standards for the protection of electronic health information,” she said.
Who Must Comply?
If your company offers healthcare benefits or if you use employees’ and applicants’ protected health information to make employment decisions (such as hiring, FMLA leave, workplace drug screening, you must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
Ashley Kaplan and the legal team at G.Neil advise employers to be aware of these basics of the security rule:
# The integrity, confidentiality and availability of electronic health information must be protected whether the covered entity creates, receives, stores or transmits the information.
# The information must be protected against any reasonably anticipated threat or hazard to the security or integrity of such information.
The Security Rule includes many other administrative, physical and technical standards.
Source: gNeil
