How HIPAA applies to PICCM

Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996. It is expected to have a profound effect upon the provision of healthcare in the US. HIPAA will include 10 different regulations. Four of the regulations have been finalized to date.

1. Standards for Electronic Transactions. Compliance with this regulation was required by October 2002, but it does not apply to Project IMPACT CCM, Inc. (PICCM) or PICCM data systems participants.
2. Standard Unique Identifier for Employers. Compliance with this regulation is required by July 2004, but it does not apply to PICCM or PICCM data systems participants.
3. Security Standards. Compliance with this regulation is required by April 21, 2005. These standards will apply to PICCM and PICCM data systems participants and are now being reviewed in detail. PICCM will take the actions needed to maintain compliance.
4. Standards for Privacy & Individually Identifiable Health Information. Compliance was required by April 14, 2003. Since PICCM data systems participants are healthcare providers that submit protected health information (PHI) to PICCM, those providers will be required to be compliant with these standards. Each PICCM data systems participant will be required to have a Business Associate Contract/Data Use Agreement (BAC/DUA) with PICCM describing the permitted uses and disclosures of that PHI and stating that PICCM will "appropriately safeguard" the PHI. PICCM has developed such a BAC/DUA and distributed it to participants.

More on PICCM's HIPAA compliance...