16 Apr CPM Announces Practical Guide to HIPAA Healthcare Communications
MIDDLETON, WI – To assist healthcare providers in complying with the marketing portion of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) Privacy Rule that becomes official today for most providers, Customer Potential Management (CPM) Marketing Group, Inc., has developed a guide to HIPAA and healthcare communications.
While HIPAA affects almost every aspect of a hospital, health plan or other healthcare entity’s operation, the marketing section has solicited numerous comments, questions and complaints and was amended by the Bush administration last August. Despite the time to prepare, many organizations are still unclear about marketing definition exclusions and just what is permitted under the rule when it comes to communicating with patients.
“We continue to receive questions and comments from our clients and others, so we updated our existing privacy white papers to guide healthcare communicators in everyday situations now that HIPAA is official,” explained John Hallick, CPM president and CEO. “The good news is that most communications considered ‘health-related’ are allowable under HIPAA because they are exclusions to the marketing definition.”
Titled “A Practical Guide to HIPAA and Healthcare Communications,” the paper explains the marketing definition, exclusions, and provides examples of activities that require and do not require prior patient authorization before protected health information can be used for communication purposes.
A copy can be obtained www.cpm.com.