With the ever-changing demands on the healthcare industry concerning the protection of patient confidentiality, REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates recognize that its business partners are seeking to ensure that our organization has actively assessed and implemented compliance standards consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates has, and continues to assess and implement, policies and procedures to ensure patient confidentiality that meet or exceed HIPAA compliance standards. Our goal is to protect the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information and our clients’ ability to use our services.

As your business partner, REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and it’s affiliates, maintains a qualified staff of knowledgeable individual’s who regularly monitor pending and active legislative that may directly impact both REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and it’s affiliates operations and its customers' need to sustain a standard of confidentiality. Our top priority is to stay abreast of new and pending privacy and security regulations on both the federal and state level.

REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates has designated a HIPAA Task Force that consists of individuals from the following departments: Legal; Finance; Human Resources; Information Technology; Risk Management; and operational representatives from each of REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates business areas.

REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates regularly communicates any new laws relative to privacy and security with its staff. REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates remains dedicated to the education of its management and employees through regular conferences and seminars in order to ensure compliance standards are understood, implemented, and effected. Please feel free to refer to our company’s confidentiality statement.

REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates remains confident that the effort put forth will produce the results necessary to achieve our compliance goals. REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates Privacy Officer welcomes the opportunity to hear from you regarding your HIPAA questions and concerns.

Print this page

CONFIDENTIALITY REQUIREMENTS - PROTECTING THE PRIVACY OF PATIENTS' HEALTH INFORMATION

1. INFORMATION REQUIRED TO BE PROTECTED.

The privacy of all medical records and other individually identifiable health information must be protected at all times. Information relating to a patient's health care history, diagnosis, condition, treatment, or evaluation shall be considered individually identifiable health information. Confidentiality of this health information must be maintained at all times, and may only be disclosed with the express written consent of the patient.

Non-individually identifiable health information, (e.g. health information that cannot be linked to a specific patient) is not included within the definition of protected health information.

2. BOUNDARIES ON HEALTH INFORMATION USE AND RELEASE.

An individual's health information can be used for health purposes only.

a.) Protect individually identifiable health information. REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates shall not publish or otherwise make generally available any information or data that identifies a patient for purposes other than treatment, payment or other health care operations, without his or her express written consent. This does not restrict the internal use of such information or data that is required in the performance of the scope of work that REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates has been engaged to perform for a client. REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates also maintains physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect individually identifiable health information. REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates is currently assessing those safeguards and expect to make ongoing improvements to maintain and enhance our level of security for individually identifiable health information."

b.) Ensure that health information is not used for non-health purposes. Patient information can be used or disclosed only for purposes of health care treatment, payment, and operations. Health information cannot be used for purposes not related to health care without explicit authorization from the patient. For example, REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates may not access the personal health information obtained by a REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates for any purpose other than to perform the services for which we were engaged, unless REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates first obtains the explicit authorization of the patient.

c.) Maintain health information in a manner to protect confidentiality. All individually identifiable health information shall be maintained by REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates in a confidential manner which prevents unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure to third parties. For example, REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates may share confidential information with a third party under contract or affiliated with REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates for the same purpose of performing the services for which we were engaged, provided that the information shall remain confidential at all times and shall be shared with only those persons that have authority to receive such information.

3. PENALTIES FOR MISUSE OF PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION.

There are serious penalties for violation of the confidentiality of health information. Please be advised of the following:

a.)State Penalties. Various state laws impose criminal and civil penalties on individuals who misuse or disclose individually identifiable health information without explicit consent by the patient.

b.)Federal Penalties. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a piece of federal legislation that directly addresses the protection of confidential health information. This law is being phased in over a two-year period. Once effective, HIPAA will provide for civil money penalties up to $25,000 per person, per year for violations of patient confidentiality. HIPAA also provides for federal criminal penalties.

c.) REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates penalties any employee who violates the privacy and confidentiality of patient health information, through disclosure or otherwise, may be subject to disciplinary action, including termination of his or her employment with REM Disability Management Group, Inc. and all it’s affiliates.

Print this page