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Tag: HIPAA

OCR Issues Guidance on HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccinations, and the Workplace

Written by Scott Moore on . Posted in Human Resources, News.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance to help the public understand when the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule applies to disclosures and requests for information about whether a person has received a COVID-19 vaccine.

In the guidance, OCR reminds the public that the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not apply to employers or employment records. The HIPAA Privacy Rule only applies to HIPAA covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers that conduct standard electronic transactions), and, in some cases, to their business associates.  The HIPAA Privacy Rule applies to most EMS providers but only as it relates to it’s patient’s Protect Health Information (PHI).

Today’s guidance addresses common workplace scenarios and answers questions about whether and how the HIPAA Privacy Rule applies. The Privacy Rule does not apply when an individual:

  • Is asked about their vaccination status by a school, employer, store, restaurant, entertainment venue, or another individual.
  • Asks another individual, their doctor, or a service provider whether they are vaccinated.
  • Asks a company, such as a home health agency, whether its workforce members are vaccinated.

Generally, the Privacy Rule does not regulate what information can be requested from employees as part of the terms and conditions of employment that an employer may impose on its workforce

The Privacy Rule does not prohibit a covered entity or business associate from requiring or requesting each workforce member to:

  • Provide documentation of their COVID-19 or flu vaccination to their current or prospective employer.
  • Sign a HIPAA authorization for a covered health care provider to disclose the workforce member’s COVID-19 or other vaccination record to their employer.
  • Wear a mask–while in the employer’s facility, on the employer’s property, or in the normal course of performing their duties at another location.
  • Disclose whether they have received a COVID-19 vaccine in response to queries from current or prospective patients.

OCR stated that they are issuing this guidance to help consumers, businesses, and health care entities understand when HIPAA applies to disclosures about COVID-19 vaccination status and to ensure that they have the information they need to make informed decisions about protecting themselves and others from COVID-19.

More details about the latest guidance on HIPAA, COVID-19 Vaccinations, and the Workplace may be found at https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/guidance/hipaa-covid-19-vaccination-workplace/index.html.  If you have questions regarding what information you may or may not share relative to COVID-19 vaccinations, please contact the AAA for assistance.

 

EMS.gov | New Resources Help EMS Clinicians and Agencies Navigate HIPAA

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Operations, Patient Care, Regulatory.

Nationwide, EMS agencies regularly report that hospitals and other healthcare workers refuse to share patient information with them, citing Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) concerns. Misconceptions about HIPAA can create artificial barriers to the legitimate, approved exchange of data between EMS and other providers, resulting in missed opportunities to improve patient outcomes and advance evidence-based practices in prehospital care.

To address this issue, the NEMSIS Technical Assistance Center collaborated with the law firm Page, Wolfberg & Wirth to provide helpful resources explaining the sharing of patient information between EMS and other healthcare professionals:

While obstacles may remain for the appropriate sharing of patient information, HIPAA is not one of them. Sharing patient information benefits EMS agencies and improves prehospital patient care by revealing evidence-based practices that make a difference for patients in the field.

NEMSIS | EMS Body Cam Guide

Written by AAA Staff on . Posted in Operations, Patient Care, Uncategorized.

New Guide Offers Body-Worn Camera Legal Considerations for EMS Agencies

Although body-worn cameras aren’t yet widely used in EMS, interest is growing and organizations that have employed them have seen significant benefits – and some limitations.

To help guide agencies, the National Emergency Medical Services Information System Technical Assistance Center (NEMSIS TAC), in cooperation with the legal firm Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, has released the EMS Body-worn Camera Quickstart Guide: Legal Considerations for EMS Agencies. The guide provides an overview of general legal issues for EMS agencies thinking about using body-worn cameras.

An overview of these key legal considerations for EMS agencies are covered in the new document:

  • Federal HIPAA standards
  • State invasion of privacy laws
  • State wiretap/eavesdropping laws
  • State open records laws
  • Data retention requirements
  • Developing a body-worn camera policy

Every EMS agency considering the use of body-worn cameras must evaluate not just legal issues but financial considerations, public perception, impact on staff, potential union bargaining and more.

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HIPAA and Mobile Devices: What Your Service Needs to Know

Written by Joe Bilello on . Posted in Operations, Technology.

For ambulance services, HIPAA compliance is a particularly sensitive issue. Because of the sensitive nature of the health data that EMS and EMT professionals deal with on a daily basis, HIPAA Privacy and Security standards must be carefully adhered to.

This issue becomes even more sensitive when you consider that most of the data collected during pre-hospital care will likely be collected, tracked, and documented on a mobile device. Laptops, smartphones, and tablets are indispensable tools for ambulance care. Most of these devices will have access to electronic health records (EHR) platforms, which will in turn be connected to the rest of a hospital’s EHR data.

While mobile devices can provide convenience in life-or-death situations, they are also particularly vulnerable to the risk of a data breach. A data breach of unsecured health information can lead to serious HIPAA violations and put patient privacy at risk.

The kind of health information that these devices have access to is called protected health information, or PHI. PHI is any demographic information that can be used to identify a patient. Common examples of PHI include names, dates of birth, medical information, insurance ID numbers, addresses, full facial photos, and telephone numbers, to name a few.

The HIPAA Rules set specific standards for maintaining the privacy, security, and integrity of PHI. Though the regulation can seem complex, the standards are in place to safeguard PHI. As per HIPAA, ambulance services necessarily fall under the category of Covered Entities, meaning that they are responsible for maintaining compliance with both the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the HIPAA Security Rule.

These two rules set limits for how and when PHI must be stored and accessed. Below, we list a few of the major components of the HIPAA Rules that all ambulance services can implement in order to keep PHI safe and secure on the go.

  • All mobile devices that can access PHI must have full-disc encryption. Additionally, all devices should be routinely backed-up on encrypted servers. In the event that a device is lost or stolen, full-disc encryption will keep hackers or thieves from accessing sensitive health data.
  • Your organization should have HIPAA policies and procedures in place pertaining to mobile devices taken “off-site.” This would necessarily include all laptops, tablets, and smartphones with access to PHI that are used in pre-hospital care in an ambulance. By outlining when devices are permitted to be used, who is permitted to use them, and how they are to be handled in off-site settings, your organization will mitigate the risk to PHI stored on these devices.
  • Keep a full inventory of all devices within your organization that can access or handle PHI in any way. Routine check-ups on the condition and location of devices listed in your inventory will help ensure that devices are not misplaced. And in the event that a device is misplaced or stolen, organization officials will notice as soon as the inventory is reviewed so that action can be taken to remedy the breach.
  • Access to PHI on mobile devices and in pre-hospital settings should be limited only to essential members of the organization’s workforce. This is known as the Minimum Necessary Standard. It’s a part of the HIPAA Privacy Rule that states that access to PHI must be limited based on employees’ roles, and that when access is granted, it should be limited to the minimum access necessary for each employee to perform their role.

These are just a few of the ways that ambulance services can protect PHI and comply with HIPAA mobile device standards.

In addition to the actions listed above, a total compliance program that addresses the full extent of the law must be in place in order to prevent HIPAA violations and data breaches.

Addressing HIPAA compliance can help ambulance services confidently treat their patients without worrying about the risk of data breaches or government fines.

HHS Office of Civil Rights Announces Phase 2 HIPAA Audit Review Program

Written by Brian Werfel on . Posted in Medicaid, Medicare, Regulatory, Reimbursement, Talking Medicare.

On March 21, 2016, the Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services announced Phase 2 of its HIPAA Audit Program.  The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) required HHS to perform periodic audits of covered entities and business associates to assess their compliance with the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules.  These rules are enforced by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Background on Phase 1

In 2011, OCR implemented a pilot audit program to assess the controls and processes covered entities have adopted to meet their HIPAA obligations.  The pilot audit program was conducted in three phases.  OCR first developed a set of audit protocols that it would use to evaluate covered entities’ compliance.  This protocol was then tested using a limited number of audits.   The final step involved using the revised audit protocols on a larger number of covered entities.  Ultimately, 115 covered entities were selected for review, and all audits were concluded by December 31, 2012.

Phase 2

Phase 2 of the HIPAA Audit Program will focus on the policies and procedures adopted and employed by entities to meet the requirements of the Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules.  OCR has indicated that these audits will be conducted primary through desk audits (i.e., document submissions), although by a limited number of on-site audits will also be conducted.

Unlike Phase 1, which focused exclusively on covered entities, OCR is indicating that Phase 2 will involve audits of both covered entities and their business associates.

As with the initial pilot audit program, Phase 2 will consist of several stages.  The first stage involves verification of a covered entity’s or business associate’s address and contact information.  A sample address verification letter can be viewed by clicking here.  OCR has indicated that emails will be sent to entities requesting accurate contact information for the entity.  OCR will then transmit a “pre-audit questionnaire” to the entity.  These questionnaires will be used to gather data about the size, type, and operations of potential auditees.  Based on this data, OCR will create potential audit subject pools.

Note: OCR has indicated that if an entity fails to respond to OCR’s request to validate its contact information and/or fails to return the pre-audit questionnaire, OCR will use publicly available information about the entity to create its audit subject pool.  As a result, an entity that fails to respond may still be selected for audit and/or compliance review.  OCR is specifically reminding entities to check their email “junk” or “spam” folders for any communications from OCR.

Once OCR has developed its audit subject pools, it will randomly select auditees from these pools.  Auditees will then be notified by OCR of their participation.  OCR has indicated that the first set of audits will focus on covered entities, with a subsequent round of audits focused on business associates.  These audits will focus on compliance with specific requirements of the Privacy, Security, or Breach Notification Rules.  Auditees will be notified of the scope of their audit in a document request letter.  Both of these rounds will be desk audits.  OCR indicated that all desk audits will be completed by the end of December 2016.

A third round of on-site audits will take place after the completion of the desk audits, and will examine a broader scope of requirements under HIPAA.  OCR further indicated that desk auditees may also be subject to on-site audits.

If an entity is selected for audit, OCR will notify them by email.  The email will introduce the OCR audit team, explain the audit process, and discuss OCR’s expectations in greater detail.  The email notification letter will also include initial requests for documentation.  OCR has indicated that it will expect entities to respond to these documentation requests within ten (10) business days.  Documents will be submitted through a new secure online portal.  Once received, OCR’s auditors will review the submitted information and inform the entity of its draft findings.  The entity will then have ten (10) business days to respond with written comments, if any.  OCR will then review the entity’s comments and issue a final audit report within thirty (30) business days.

OCR has indicated that the audits are primarily intended as a compliance improvement activity.  OCR will use aggregated data to better understand compliance with respect to particular aspects of the HIPAA rules.  The goal being to understand what types of technical assistance and/or corrective actions would be most helpful.  In other words, OCR is indicating that the goal of these audits is to improve its understanding of the state of compliance, and not to penalize specific companies for violations.  However, OCR indicated that should an audit reveal a serious compliance issue, OCR may initiate a further compliance review of the company.

OCR indicated that it will not post a list of the audited entities, nor will its findings be available in a format that would clearly identify the audited entity.  However, OCR noted that audit notification letters and other information regarding these audits may be discoverable under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Additional information from OCR regarding the Phase 2 HIPAA Audit Program can be obtained by clicking here.

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