Two new sample HIPAA policies are now available on the Premium Member section of the Veterans Press website. We appreciate our clients and customers for many, many reasons, but one reason is that they generate so many new ideas of what I can draft that will help them with their HIPAA compliance efforts. Sometimes, the ideas come from comments and suggestions, sometimes, they come from questions in a HIPAA seminar, and sometimes, they come up while I am reviewing risk analyses and gap analyses.
One of the new policies available in the Premium Member section is a sample Policies and Procedures Policy. At first glance, this sample policy title may seem odd, but actually, the policy can be a big help to those responsible for drafting and implementing policies for a covered entity or a business associate. Getting the workforce, including management, on board first with this policy could save a lot of consternation with individual policies and procedures down the line.
The other new policy is a sample Mail Containing PHI Policy. Yes, some providers still use only paper, some providers are still using paper as they transition to electronic records and billing, and even the providers that use only electronic medical records may still have issues with protected health information (“PHI”) lurking in the incoming and/or outgoing snail mail.
We trust that you will find these new sample policies helpful. As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.
Again, as a reminder, if you bought the HIPAA Compliance Library that includes my 5th or now 6th edition of the Compliance Guide to HIPAA and the DHHS Regulations, you received with it a one-year free subscription to the Premium Member section. If you need help setting up your account to access the Premium Member section or want to arrange to buy a one-year subscription, please call our marketing director, Patrick R. Head II, toll-free at 855-341-8783 or email him at patrick@veteranspress.com.
