HIPAA Summary

morrisg

Does M. Lee Smith plan on producing one of your excellent summaries related to all the related changes assoicated with HIPAA, that makes the complicated understandable?

System

Hi morrisg,

Yes, we have several articles on HRhero.com:

In the free area:
Hungry hungry HIPAA -- are you ready for the beast?
[url]http://www.hrhero.com/q&a/hipaa.shtml[/url]

To find a plethora of articles in the Subscribers Area*:
- Log in at [url]www.hrhero.com[/url]
- Click the link under HR Answer Engine to search articles (center column of page)
- In the "Search for these words" box, type HIPAA
- Under Year, choose "Last 3 years"
- Under State, choose "All States"
- Click "Display Articles"

You'll find these articles and more:
- What you should know now about HIPAA
- Hungry hungry HIPAA
- HIPAA's new medical privacy requirements have a dramatic impact
- HIPAA is loose -- but not until 2003
- What you need to know about HIPAA and the privacy rule
- HIPAA hoopla: Your business may have to join the fun
- HIPAA hippo: corralling latest regulations on privacy and health care

*You need to be a subscriber to your state's Employment Law Letter to access the Subscribers Area on HRhero.com. More info at [url]www.hrhero.com/empnl.shtml[/url]

Hope this helps!

Christy Reeder
Website Managing Editor
[url]www.HRhero.com[/url]

morrisg

It would appear that you have indeed addressed this well. This is most helpful.
Thanks

Don D

Speaking of which, does anyone have any speculative fears that the HIPAA restrictions will have any effect at all on our ability to gather and perhaps transmit health information for FMLA purposes?

Down_the_Middle

I had the same question a few weeks ago and determined: HIPAA affects compliance with FMLA ONLY if the employer gets this type of info directly from its health plan. Receiving medical information about an employee's FMLA status (from a medical provider or the employee) is not protected info and therefore not applicable.

Don D

Thanks, and do you assume the same would hold true with our electronic transmission of medical information to our UNUM (disability) carrier and comp carrier. All of these transmissions naturally only serve to facilitate the goals of those programs and the prompt payment of money.

Down_the_Middle

Yes, I beleive the same holds true for this also. If the info comes directly from the health plan it's covered; otherwise not an issue with HIPAA.