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UNDERSTANDING
HIPAA:
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
To download registration form in PDF format
click
here.
 Presented
by Dr. Joe Boyett
Dr. Boyett has served as a lecturer for ALDA on numerous
occasions. He compiled an impressive multi-faceted career,
first in the Air Force for 25 years retiring as a Colonel.
He spent 12 years as a college professor and dean. The
former position at Auburn University, the latter at Troy
State University in Montgomery. Dr. Boyett also established
a technology consulting business and has served as a consultant
for ALDA since 1983. He also served on the Board of Directors
for the ADA's Electronic Commerce Company for two years.
| HIPAA equates to the Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act passed by Congress in 1996.
Dental offices that file insurance claims electronically
will be required to comply with at least two HIPAA
regulations-transactions and code-sets standards
and privacy protections for patient health care
records and other personal health care information.
The HIPAA compliance deadline for dentists is April
14, 2003.
The HIPAA transaction standard will require dental
insurance plans to accept a standardized format
for electronic transmission of dental care transactions.
This HIPAA provision should benefit dentists who
are now required to submit transactions in different
formats for different insurance carriers. The
HIPAA code-set standard will require insurance
carriers to accept electronic transmissions for
oral health services using the American Dental
Association's current dental terminology procedure
code set (CDT-3) not later than October 2003.
The Patient Privacy Protection Regulation will
also apply to dental offices submitting dental
claim forms electronically. Information under
this category includes medical and dental histories,
examinations and treatment procedures.
In order to comply with the privacy regulation,
dentists will have to take a number of steps including:
- Adopting written privacy practice, policies
and procedures
- Establishing a privacy compliance program
that includes internal auditing of privacy procedures
- Training dental office employees so that they
understand the practice's privacy procedures
- Designating an office employee as the "Privacy
Officer" (this individual is responsible
for seeing that privacy procedures are adopted
and followed)
- Maintaining reasonable administrative, technical
and physical safeguards to ensure the integrity
and confidentiality of patient health information
- Informing patients about their privacy rights
and how their personal health information can
be used
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