Lane Powell Shareholders Jeff Brecht and Gabi Sanchez authored an article in the July/August issue of Oregon Business magazine titled “Proceed With Caution: Does HIPAA Apply to Your Business?” In the article, Brecht and Sanchez discussed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and defined its rules as they apply to the protection of personal health information (PHI) held by “covered entities” and their “business associates.” They also discussed the steps businesses should take as sponsors of HIPAA-covered health care plans to ensure proper protection and compliance is followed.
Prompt and accurate reporting of PHI privacy and security breaches is important because it allows the plan to analyze the underlying facts to determine, among other things, if there was an actual breach; whether the breach should be reported and to whom; what steps should be taken to mitigate any damages; and what steps to take to prevent future such breaches.