The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) are making presentations from the 4th annual conference on “Safeguarding Health Information: Building Assurance through HIPAA Security” co-hosted in Washington, D.C. on May 10 & 11, 2011 available on line for review.  The training is part of a series of continuing efforts by the agencies to outreach to various parties on the Privacy and Security Rules of the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act of 1996, as amended (HIPAA).  Meanwhile, OCR’s Susan McAndrew is scheduled to share insights on OCR’s HIPAA regulatory and enforcement agenda at a teleconference to be hosted by the American Bar Association Joint Committee on Employee Benefits at Noon Central on May 16, 2011. 

 The Security Rule sets federal standards to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronic protected health information by requiring HIPAA covered entities and their business associates to implement and maintain administrative, physical and technical safeguards. Presentations cover a variety of current topics including updates on HHS health information privacy and security initiatives, OCR’s enforcement of health information privacy and security activities, integrating security safeguards into health IT and security automation, insider threat trends and safeguards, and more.

The conference is designed to explore the current health information technology security landscape and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule, the agencies share their practical strategies, tips and techniques for implementing the HIPAA Security Rule. 

For details about reviewing the May 10-11 presentations, see the 2011 HIPAA Conference website here.  For details about the May 16 teleconference, see here.

For Help With Monitoring Developments, Compliance, Investigations Or Other Needs

If you need assistance monitoring federal health reform, policy or enforcement developments, or to review or respond to these or other health care or health IT related risk management, compliance, enforcement or management concerns, the author of this update, attorney Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, may be able to help.  Vice President of the North Texas Health Care Compliance Professionals Association, Past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section Managed Care & Insurance Section and the former Board Compliance Chair of the National Kidney Foundation of North Texas, Ms. Stamer has more than 23 years experience advising health industry clients about these and other matters. Ms. Stamer has extensive experience advising and assisting health care providers and other health industry clients to establish and administer medical privacy and other compliance and risk management policies, to health care industry investigation, enforcement and other compliance, public policy, regulatory, staffing, and other operations and risk management concerns. A popular lecturer and widely published author on health industry concerns, Ms. Stamer continuously advises health industry clients about compliance and internal controls, workforce and medical staff performance, quality, governance, reimbursement, and other risk management and operational matters.  On May 3, 2011, Ms. Stamer served as the appointed scribe for the ABA Joint Commitee on Employee Benefits Agency meeting with OCR and will moderate a teleconference featuring comments by OCR’s Susan McAndrew for the Joint Committee on Employee Benefits scheduled for May 16.  Ms. Stamer also publishes and speaks extensively on health and managed care industry regulatory, staffing and human resources, compensation and benefits, technology, public policy, reimbursement and other operations and risk management concerns/ She also regularly designs and presents risk management, compliance and other training for health care providers, professional associations and others including highly popular programs on “Sex Drugs & Rock ‘N Role: Managing Personal Misconduct in Health Care,” “Managing Physician Performance” and others..   Her publications and insights appear in the Health Care Compliance Association, Atlantic Information Service, Bureau of National Affairs, World At Work, The Wall Street Journal, Business Insurance, the Dallas Morning News, Modern Health Care, Managed Healthcare, Health Leaders, and a many other national and local publications.  You can get more information about her health industry experience here. If you need assistance with these or other compliance concerns, wish to inquire about arranging for compliance audit or training, or need legal representation on other matters please contact Ms. Stamer at (469) 767-8872 or via e-mail here.

About Solutions Law Press

Solutions Law Press™ provides business risk management, legal compliance, management effectiveness and other resources, training and education on human resources, employee benefits, compensation, data security and privacy, health care, insurance, and other key compliance, risk management, internal controls and other key operational concerns. If you find this of interest, you also be interested reviewing some of our other Solutions Law Press resources including:

• CMS Finalizes Allotments To States To Pay Medicaid Part B Premiums For Qualifying Individuals
• Sexual Misconduct Investigation Prompts Medical Board Suspension of Texas Doctor
• States Get More Info On Affordable Care Act Medicaid Eligibility Maintenance Of Effort; Payers & Providers Must Monitor
• Health Care Providers Brace For New HIPAA Enforcement AS OCR Announces Hospital Resolution Agreement Requiring $1 Million Settlement Payment
• HHS Imposes 1st HIPAA Privacy Civil Penalty of $4.3 million
• States Get More Info On Affordable Care Act Medicaid Eligibility Maintenance Of Effort; Payers & Providers Must Monitor
• Health Care Providers Brace For New HIPAA Enforcement AS OCR Announces Hospital Resolution Agreement Requiring $1 Million Settlement Payment
• ONC Giving Small Critical Access And Rural Hospitals Added Electronic Health Records Funds
• Health Care Employer’s NLRB Settlement Shows Care Necessary When Using Social Networking & Other Policies Restricting Employee Communications
• Medicare Proposes To Require Providers To Notify Patients Of Quality Of Care Complaint Rights
• OIG Launch of Health Care Fraud “Most Wanted” List Sign of Enforcement Risks
• Rhode Island DHS Must Provide Translation, Other Services For Limited English, Other Language Impaired Persons
• Texas Doctor, Pharmacy Suspension Reminder of Pain Management Prescribing Risks
• Supreme Court Ruling Medical Resident Stipend Are Wages Highlights Advisability of Compliance Review
• CMS Physician Compare Tool Gives Patients New Info On Physicians & Other Providers
• Minimum Wage, Overtime Risks Highlighted By Labor Department Strike Force Targeting Residential Care & Group Homes
• Health Care Fraud Enforcement Packs New Heat
• President Signs Long-Sought Red Flag Rule Exemption Into Law
• Quality, Recordkeeping & Unprofessional Conduct Lead Reasons For Medical Board Discipline of Physicians
• DEA Cautions Practitioners Must Restrict Delegation of Controlled Substance Prescribing Functions, Urges Adoption of Written Policies & Agreements
• EEOC Attacks Medical Leave Denials As Prohibited Disability Discrimination
• Affordable Care Act’s Health Plan External & Internal Review Safe Harbor & Other Regulations Require Health Plan Updates
• Employers Concerned About New Union Powers As NLRB Orders Union Elections In 31 California Health Care Facilities To Proceed
• HHS Announces Adjustments to Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) Rates
• Rite Aid Agrees to Pay $1 Million to Settle HIPAA Privacy Case As OCR Moves To Tighten Privacy Rules
• CMS Adopts ESRD Facility Prospective Payment System & Proposes New Quality Incentive Program
• CMS Rule Clarifies When Outpatient Services Subject to 3-Day Rule & Finalizes FY 2011 Inpatient Payment Rates

If you or someone else you know would like to receive future updates about developments on these and other concerns, please be sure that we have your current contact information – including your preferred e-mail – by creating or updating your profile here. For important information concerning this communication click here. 

THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMER IS INCLUDED TO COMPLY WITH AND IN RESPONSE TO U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 230 REGULATIONS.  ANY STATEMENTS CONTAINED HEREIN ARE NOT INTENDED OR WRITTEN BY THE WRITER TO BE USED, AND NOTHING CONTAINED HEREIN CAN BE USED BY YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON, FOR THE PURPOSE OF (1) AVOIDING PENALTIES THAT MAY BE IMPOSED UNDER FEDERAL TAX LAW, OR (2) PROMOTING, MARKETING OR RECOMMENDING TO ANOTHER PARTY ANY TAX-RELATED TRANSACTION OR MATTER ADDRESSED HEREIN.

©2011 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, P.C.  Non-exclusive license to republish granted to Solutions Law Press.  All other rights reserved.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 10th, 2011 at 9:48 pm and is filed under Academic medicine, ASC, DEA, Disease Management, DME, Doctor, Electronic Health Records, Electronic Medical Records, Employer, Genetic Information, GINA, Health Care Provider, Health IT, Health Plan, HIPAA, HITECH Act, Hospital, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Fee Schedule, Mental Heatlh, OCR, Physician. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.