AGENCY HIPAA NOTICE & COMPLIANCE POLICY

It is Comfort Life Home Care, LLC., (hereinafter “Agency”) policy that its employees comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act “HIPAA” of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-191) at all times. Any violations of this policy will result in disciplinary action up to and including discharge.

To ensure the Agency and its employees are properly trained in Protected Health Information (“PHI”) and HIPAA employees, cannot have access to PHI unless they have successfully completed HIPAA training through the Agency’s web-based training and certification program. HIPAA training covers billing, patient records confidentiality and patient communications. This training is required by federal HIPAA regulations. 2. Retraining shall occur at least annually, or sooner whenever there are material changes in HIPAA regulations or whenever the campus or individual units determine it is necessary to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations 

Agency’s company policies require all staff to be trained at the time of hire and annually thereafter with specific provisions and compliance with “HIPAA). The Administrative Simplification standards adopted by Health and Human Services (HHS) under (HIPAA) apply, to any entity that is: 

A health care provider that conducts certain transactions in electronic form (called hereinafter a “covered health care provider”), a health care clearinghouse or a health plan. An organization or individual that is one or more of these types of entities is referred to as a “covered entity” in the Administrative Simplification regulations and must comply with the requirements of those regulations. Agency, is NOT a “covered entity” that is required to comply with “PHI” or “HIPAA”; however, Agency, voluntarily complies as follows: 

Agency and its employees shall protect Client’s privacy and provide for the security of all “PHI” disclosed to it and its employees in connection with any and all retail pharmacy medical and non-medical services performed in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42 U.S.C. §1320d – 1320d-8 (“HIPAA”) and its implementing regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164 (the “Privacy Rule”) and other applicable laws, as amended. 

“PHI” means any information, whether oral or recorded in any form or medium: (i) that relates to the past, present or future physical or mental condition of an individual; the provision of health care to an individual; or the past, present or future payment for the provision of health care to an individual; and (ii) that identifies the individual or with respect to which there is a reasonable basis to believe the information can be used to identify the individual, and shall have the meaning given to such term under the Privacy Rule, including, but not limited to, 45 C.F.R. Section 164.501. 

In compliance with “PHI” and “HIPAA” guidelines, Agency and its employees hereby agree not to disclose Client’s medical condition(s) and or history either during or after the term of employment to any third parties including but not limited to customers, relatives, friends, family friends, guest, or invitees of Agency. Said medical history and records as described above is deemed confidential information of Agency. Customers must provide Agency with prior written permission before said confidential information will be released to any third party including customer’s family, guest, invitees or agents.