Privacy and Compliance

Privacy and Confidentiality of Protected Health Information (PHI)

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) focused on healthcare and included requirements that Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) develop new health data security and individual health information privacy standards. The privacy standards developed by HHS became final in April 2001 with an effective date of April 14, 2003 (April 14, 2004 for small health plans). A-Life Medical is in full compliance with the new privacy regulations, and we have undertaken security measures that exceed the proposed security regulations.

Security ensures that the conveyance and storage of information is protected from unauthorized access, disclosure, loss, alteration or destruction. Privacy ensures that the protected health information is only shared on a need to know and right to know basis. Individual PHI, as it is described in HIPAA, relates to the past, present or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual; provision of healthcare; or payment for the provision of health care. Our customers and business partners convey PHI to us in the natural course of business. This relationship places A-Life Medical, as a Business Associate, in a chain of trust with the responsibility to protect this PHI. In response to the complex HIPAA privacy regulations A-Life Medical has created a position of Privacy Officer to ensure our compliance and safeguard our customers' PHI.

The Privacy Officer administers, monitors, implements, investigates, enforces and/or performs:

• Periodic risk assessments
• Privacy training for all employees
• Business Associate relationships as it pertains to security and privacy of PHI
• Access and conveyance of PHI (transaction logs)
• Complaints of Privacy Policy violations
• Privacy Policies
• Security Policies

A-Life Medical is committed to compliance in all aspects of its business, and to that end we work diligently to prepare for all requirements of HIPAA. Today, we are proud to say that we have met or exceeded all requirements of our business, and we will continue to meet the needs of our customers and business partners to ensure our mutual success.

Compliance

Compliance is about preventing errors, negligence, fraud and abuse; it is also about continuing quality improvement and dedication to excellence. Today, compliance in healthcare focuses on coding, billing, cost reports, business relationships and government regulations. A compliance program is quality assurance, quality control and quality improvement processes, combined with one's risk management program. The primary objective is to prevent, detect and cure errors and inappropriate behavior such as waste, fraud and abuse.

A-Life Medical's Compliance Program includes:

• A compliance officer and committee with direct access to the board of directors
• Established policies and procedures with the objective of preventing or reducing errors and wrongdoing
• Restrictions or processes intended to prevent individuals with a history of unethical or illegal behavior from holding positions in high risk areas of the business
• Effective communication to all members of the organization requiring compliance with corporate policies and the ethical standards of behavior
• Effective auditing of processes and output, monitoring of individual behavior and a reporting system enabling individuals to communicate perceived wrongdoing without fear of retribution
• Enforcement of policies, procedures and standards through reasonable disciplinary actions administered fairly and effectively
• Reasonable and effective responses to detected errors or wrongdoing to prevent similar errors from recurring, with emphasis on continuing quality improvement

To discuss our Privacy and Compliance program and policies please use the Contact Us link to reach us.