Hipaa Privacy and Security

 Multidisciplinary Services.

  Thuriam's HIPAA Privacy and Security Practice Group brings together lawyers from a number of different areas of practice to provide clients with comprehensive legal services regarding compliance with the privacy and security requirements created by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") and the applicability of those requirements to the various aspects of their business operations. 

HIPAA's privacy standards concerning protected health information ("PHI") and individually identifiable health information apply to "covered entities," which include not only health care providers and health care clearingh ouses, but also health plans maintained by employers, and apply indirectly via contract to entities that contract with "covered entities" (so-called "business associates"). 

HIPAA's security standards apply to electronic PHI ("ePHI") and will impact the electronic systems that may receive, store, transmit or maintain PHI in an electronic form.  Our group assists covered entities and their business associates in handling HIPAA compliance in the following ways:

Privacy

• Health Plans
  • Evaluation of Company Health Plans for the extent to which HIPAA privacy applies
  • Analysis of Health Plan operations and tracking of PHI
  • Creation of Policies and Procedures to protect the privacy of PHI
  • Review of contracts with Business Associates
  • Training of Health Plan personnel regarding the protection of PHI
  • Ongoing review of compliance activities
    
• Healthcare Providers
  • Evaluation of operational issues
  • Creation of Policies and Procedures
  • Review of contracts with Business Associates
  • Training of Personnel with access to PHI
• Healthcare Clearinghouses
  • Evaluation of operational issues
  • Creation of Policies and Procedures
  • Review of contracts with Business Associates
  • Training of Personnel with access to PHI
• Business Associates
  • Evaluation of HIPAA's applicability
  • Analysis of operations
  • Training of appropriate personnel
  • Preparation and review of contracts with covered entities

Security 

• Health Plans and Business Associates of Health Plans
  
  • Evaluation with Internal Plan Personnel and Internal IT Personnel the applicability of HIPAA security
  • Analysis of how ePHI is received, maintained and stored
  • Review of current IT policies and procedures in comparison with HIPAA's security standards
  • Assist with training health plan personnel on new security procedures
  • Ongoing assistance with security questions

Expertise.

  Our lawyers have significant experience working with the types of businesses affected by the HIPAA privacy and security rules.

Our Business Litigation practice representing defendants against allegations of invasion of privacy, together with the expertise we have developed regarding the privacy requirements of HIPAA, ensure that our clients will have the most up-to-date and practical advice regarding the requirements and methods for compliance with these interrelated rules.

Our attorneys have been actively involved