Cooperative Extension Service
Departments
Human Resources - Benefits
HIPPA Information
MEMORANDUM
TO: All Benefited UA Cooperative Extension Service Employees
FROM: Ivory W. Lyles
Associate Vice President for Agriculture - Extension
DATE: April 9, 2003
SUBJECT: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
and University of Arkansas Notice of Privacy Practices
Effective April 14, 2003, all University of Arkansas System
campuses will implement the applicable provisions of the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The purpose of this federal
legislation is to secure and protect any information that identifies an
individual and reveals their health status, healthcare services or payment for
healthcare services.
HIPAA is designed to ensure the confidentiality of an
individual’s Protected Health Information (PHI). PHI includes all health and
dental information that contains data identifying the individual, e.g., social
security number, name, medical diagnosis, healthcare services forms, or payment
data for health care services. All PHI - paper, electronic, or verbal - is
covered under HIPAA.
HIPAA is concerned with two aspects of PHI: use and
disclosure. Any use or disclosure of PHI outside of daily health and dental care
processing operations is no longer allowed unless you authorize it in writing.
For example, your spouse will no longer be able to call Extension regarding your
health issues unless you have signed a Spousal Authorization Form permitting
that disclosure.
Sanctions, fines and even imprisonment are associated with
HIPAA noncompliance. Therefore, the Cooperative Extension Service is taking
HIPAA very seriously and will be employing all appropriate policies and
procedures necessary to ensure HIPAA compliance.
Attached to this memorandum is a copy of the University of
Arkansas Notice of Privacy Practices. This document describes HIPAA and your
rights under HIPAA. Please review this material carefully. It is also available
on-line at
www.uaex.edu/depts/HR/benefits or can be
requested from the Extension Human Resources Office.
Attachment: University of Arkansas Notice of Privacy
Practices
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