It’s Time to Prepare for the HIPAA Security Rule
[Posted 01/06/05]

Physicians should now be preparing for the HIPAA security rule, which goes into effect April 20. The rule requires most physicians to implement policies and procedures to prevent unauthorized access to patients’ protected health information (PHI) and to detect, contain, and correct security violations. Unlike the privacy rule, which governs all forms of PHI (paper, oral, and electronic), the security rule applies only to information that is stored or transmitted electronically.

For an overview of the security rule, see CMA’s newly updated ON-CALL document #1607, “HIPAA Security Rule.” ON-CALL documents are free to members at CMA’s members-only website. Nonmembers can purchase this and other ON-CALL documents for $2 per page in the CMA bookstore.

Click here for more HIPAA information.

Contact: CMA’s legal information line, 415/882-5144 or legalinfo@cmanet.org.