ARRA presentation: Jennifer Adams, Compliance, Privacy and Security Officer at Shared Health®, spoke to a group of physicians and office staff who are members of the Cumberland Pediatric Foundation and IPA at a seminar specifically designed to be a high level overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (i.e., the federal stimulus bill) or ARRA and HIPAA changes that go into effect beginning in September 2009 and will continue over the next few years. Click here to view. 

Privacy & Security Safeguards

Shared Health has implemented appropriate industry-standard privacy and security safeguards, including:

• Defined Clinician Authorization
• Identification of Parties Receiving PHI
• Assignment of Unique User IDs and Passwords (Authentication Safeguard)
• Industry Benchmark Security Encryption
• Audit Trail Capabilities
• Role-Based Access Controls
• Physical Safeguards in Data Center (access control, environmental control, emergency power, disaster recovery plan)
• Other Security Safeguards (workforce clearance and termination procedures, virus protection, data backup, device and media controls)

Shared Health meets the definition of a health care clearinghouse under HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996), which means Shared Health is a covered entity directly regulated by HIPAA and must comply with the privacy requirements.

Many times, Shared Health will be a business associate as well as a covered entity under HIPAA. As a covered entity or business associate under HIPAA, Shared Health is allowed to use and disclose Protected Health Information (PHI) for treatment, payment, and health care operations without an authorization from the individual.

To learn more about HIPAA, please click here.