HIPAA Regulations: infotex, an affiliate of Bucheri McCarty & Metz LLP in Kokomo, Lafayette, and Wabash, has learned that the Health and Human Services Department has issued a Final Security Ruling for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.  These regulations are meant to increase patient privacy and to streamline Information Flow in the healthcare industry.

“This means that anybody storing patient records in electronic format has two or three years to comply, depending on their size” said Dan Hadaway, COO of Infotex.

“The good news for them is that we already offer the Security Assessment services that HIPAA will require.”   

"The proposed Rule was first published on August 12, 1998 by the Department of Health and Human Services," said Julie Tracy MCP iNet+, Information Architect at infotex, who has been studying the regulations.  "The final ruling is very close to the original proposal, as we had expected." 

“Small offices will need to develop a plan to comply with these regulations,” Hadaway said.  “The regulations extend beyond health care providers to include insurance companies, dental practices, chiropractics, optometrists . . . any entity that stores medical records in an electronic format.”
 

For More Information Contact:
infotex 2366 W. Boulevard P.O. Box 2147 Kokomo, IN 46904-2147
Telephone: (765) 236-2300 FAX: (765) 236-2333 E-mail: info@infotex.ws