PDF version - National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization

Tip of the Month
Compliance With the
New HIPAA Omnibus Rule
On January 17, 2013, an Omnibus
Final Rule was released by the
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights.
This Final Rule implements modifications to
HIPAA (the Health Information Technology
for Economic and Clinical Health Act 1 )—
and marks the most significant re-write of
the HIPAA rules since the law was enacted.
Compliance with most of the new
requirements introduced in this rule
is required by September 23, 2013. An
extended compliance period is provided for
the modification of certain existing business
associate agreements, as described in the rule.
So What Do Providers Need to Do?
Be sure to complete the following updates
by the September 23, 2013 deadline:
• Update your patient privacy notices
• Update your policy on reviewing
and reporting a breach of protected
health information (PHI) or electronic
protected health information (ePHI)
• Update your business associate
agreements (unless they qualify for an
extended transition period)
• Update your fundraising communication
to include an “opt-out” option for patients.
Learn More:
NHPCO has developed a helpful information
sheet that gives hospice providers more
details about the final rule. To access the
PDF, visit www.nhpco.org/hipaa.
The final rule can also be accessed online
for reference: Omnibus Final Rule.
1
The Federal Register version of the Final Rule was
published on January 25, 2013. 78 Fed. Reg. 5566
(Jan. 25, 2013).
Make Sure You See Every
Regulatory Alert and Round-Up!
Be sure to bookmark the Regulatory
Alerts and Publications webpage
of the NHPCO website for
ongoing reference.
It lists all Alerts and Round-Ups issued
in chronological order, so it’s a good
way to make sure you’re up to date
on important news and changes
affecting hospice providers.
(These notifications are emailed to
members who opt-in for Regulatory
Communications but, oftentimes,
SPAM filters impede delivery.)
36 NewsLine