HIPAA Guidelines

CareFirst CHPDC is committed to strict adherence with the privacy and security provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and expects that its practitioners and providers are familiar with their responsibilities under the HIPAA and take all necessary actions to fully comply. Any enrollee record containing clinical, social, financial, or any other data on a enrollee should be treated as strictly confidential and be protected from loss, tampering, alteration, destruction, and unauthorized or inadvertent disclosure. Medical records of network practitioners are to be maintained in a manner that is current, detailed. organized and permits for effective and confidential patient care and quality review. Practitioner offices are to have an organized medical record filing system that facilitates access and availability of records at all times. To maintain these standards, Practitioners should ensure that the following standards for availability, confidentiality and organization of medical records are met:

• A designated staff-person qualified by training or experience, who has oversight of and access to the medical records storage system (paper or electronic system).
• The office has a policy that includes the manner, in which the medical record is organized, the content of the medical record and the manner in which it is filed.
• If the practitioner has several offices, there is a system to obtain records from one office to another if a patient is seen at several office locations.
• Records for patients who have not been seen by the practitioner for a period of time may be stored off site and are easily accessible if the patient should return.

The office implements and maintains procedures for maintaining and safeguarding the confidentiality of enrollee medical records and treatment in accordance with applicable federal and state law.