HIPAA

The ACP has put together the following resources to help members understand and comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Administrative Simplification rules, including the Omnibus, Breach Notification, and the Enforcement Rules. Manuals can be used for practice assessments, as a framework for staff training, customizable forms and checklists, as well as for background information and reference. This guidance remains in effect only to the extent that it is consistent with the court’s order in Ciox Health, LLC v. Azar, No. 18-cv-0040 (D.D.C. January 23, 2020). Should you have any questions regarding the applicability of the court’s order to your practice, please consult an attorney to obtain advice. The below guidance is also subject to change in anticipation of proposed modifications to the HIPAA Privacy Rule being finalized. See additional information on the proposed changes.

HIPAA and Administrative Simplification Overview

Privacy Rule

The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information. These resources help physician practices comply with the rules.

Security Rule

Security Rules require practices to protect all patient information that is stored, received, or transmitted electronically.

Breach Notification

The HITECH Breach Notification Rule requires HIPAA-covered entities to notify HHS of a breach of unsecured protected health information.

  • Breach Notification Regulations - The Office of Civil Rights is responsible for enforcing this rule.
  • Breach Notification Guide (members only) - This guide provides everything you need to do in the event of a breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI) within your practice.
  • Breach Report Portal - This online portal allows users to submit a notice of breach of unsecured protected health information to the Secretary of HHS.

Identifiers

Links to other HIPAA and Administrative Simplification Resources

The following resources offered by other reputable organizations offer some additional information and alternatives to those included above.

Government Links

These information pages from the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) offer well organized web pages, including easily searchable FAQs, regarding all parts of HIPAA.