The HIPAA Security Rule Is Here: Are You Ready?
[Posted 04/21/05]

The third and final HIPAA deadline has arrived. The security rule, which took effect Wednesday (April 20), requires physicians to have in place 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.

If you haven’t yet brought your practice into compliance, don’t panic. CMA can help you get caught up on HIPAA. Take a look at the numerous resources (listed below) that are available to CMA members.

If you still have questions after reviewing these resources, contact CMA’s legal information specialists at 415/882-5144 or legalinfo@cmanet.org.

HIPAA Primers for Physicians:
CMA’s Center for Legal Affairs has published a series of ON-CALL documents to guide physicians through the HIPAA process. ON-CALL documents are free to members at CMA’s members-only website. Nonmembers can purchase ON-CALL documents for $2 per page from CMA’s online bookstore.

CMA’s HIPAA Help Center:
All of the HIPAA stories that have appeared in CMA Alert over the past year are available in one convenient index at the California Physician website. These articles provide answers to some of the most common HIPAA questions and clear up some of the most common HIPAA misconceptions. There you will also find links to all of CMA’s HIPAA products and resources for physicians.

HIPAA Compliance Toolkit:
CMA and PrivaPlan have teamed to provide California physicians with a comprehensive HIPAA compliance tool, the CMA/PrivaPlan HIPAA Compliance Toolkit on CD-ROM.

The toolkit contains training materials for your staff, including all the information and forms needed to comply with HIPAA’s privacy and security rules. The CMA toolkit is the only HIPAA compliance tool that contains California-specific HIPAA information and resources. While other HIPAA compliance tools give you generic forms and templates, the CMA toolkit is customized to comply with the intricacies of California law.

In a PrivaPlan exclusive, purchasers can participate in free online discussion groups moderated by PrivaPlan’s HIPAA compliance experts. CMA members can purchase the toolkit for $325 (nonmember price is $495). For an additional $99 a year, physicians can sign up to automatically receive future toolkit updates. Subscribers will also receive PrivaPlan’s HIPAA newsletter.

HIPAA-Compliant Clearinghouse Discount for Members:
CMA has partnered with Infinedi, a Tulsa, Okla., electronic clearinghouse, to ensure your practice’s ability to submit HIPAA-compliant claims. Physicians can choose a flat rate monthly service, which permits unlimited electronic claims filing, or opt for a per-transaction payment plan. CMA members receive a discount of 8 to 12 percent. You don’t need special software. Claims can be transmitted 24 hours a day to Infinedi’s web portal via secure FTP, or by modem through a toll-free number. No special software is needed.

The one-time enrollment fee is $175 for members, $200 for nonmembers. Physicians enrolling will be issued a MEDePass digital certificate for secure access to their private business account information stored at Infinedi.

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