Haynes and Boone, LLP
  September 12, 2002 - Dallas, Texas

HIPAA Privacy Compliance Services for Health Plans
  by Greta E Cowart

Approaching Compliance with Privacy Regulations Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, including Final Modifications In 1996, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”). In 2000, the Department of Health and Human Services issued final regulations under HIPAA establishing privacy standards for certain individually identifiable health information. These final regulations are effective April 14, 2003 (April 14, 2004 for health plans with annual receipts of $5,000,000 or less). While many of the laws that apply to health plans have changed over the past few years, the changes made by the HIPAA privacy regulations present a major challenge to health plans and their sponsors because HIPAA’s privacy regulations require health plans to significantly change how they administer the plan and impact the employer sponsoring the health plan. Haynes and Boone, LLP has specifically focused on HIPAA privacy compliance from the employer sponsored health plan perspective and has tailored its privacy compliance services to address the unique issues faced by employers and their health plans in complying with the HIPAA privacy rules. The following frequently asked questions provide a general overview of how HIPAA’s privacy requirements will impact your company’s health plan operations and business operations. However, compliance with HIPAA’s privacy regulations address operations and must be tailored to each individual situation. The following discussion is provided merely for informational purposes and should not be relied upon as legal advice. No one should rely on the information provided in the answers to these questions without first seeking the advice of an attorney who is familiar with your situation.


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