Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is an act created to cover the electronic transmission of personal information. As more medical professionals and facilities moved files to an electronic version, an act was necessary to protect the information. HIPAA not only gives individuals protection, it sets standards for healthcare entities in the transmission of information.

Duty of Care.

The duty of care refers to the specific responsibility of any entity gathering personal information. That entity acts in good faith that the information will not be shared outside the entity unless the patient grants specific permission. Additionally, HIPAA will implement penalties against any entity that breaks the rules of the act, including fines and closure of the facility if the act is violated multiple times.

Corporate Responsibilities.

An entity operating under the HIPAA rules is required to:

Ensure all electronic systems are secure against outside intruders

Ensure all employees are trained and bound by the HIPAA rules

Check all employees and their knowledge of HIPAA on a consistent basis

Protect all private information electronically with safeguards, including health care proxies

Maintain or meet with a HIPAA Safety Officer on a regular basis to ensure all electronic records are

properly guarded Know who is accessing personal information, why, and when

Assign logins and other safety guards to all employees

Review all systems for accuracy and safety on a regular basis and

Keep patients informed on any changes

Corporate Rights.

It is the right of the health care facility or business to:
Obtain patient information to keep files up to date

Ask for a health care proxy to discuss a patient’s care with a designated family member or friend
Contact a patient or proxy using a predetermined method (phone, email, etc.)

Share information with other healthcare professionals, with the patient’s permission
Share information with other healthcare professionals for the purpose of referrals
What Does this Mean for Vancouver Home Health Care Agency?

The HIPAA rules apply to the Vancouver Home Health Care Agency because the Agency gathers personal information for electronic files. The nurses and other medical professionals who enter the home are bound by HIPAA laws to keep all personal information private.

Vancouver Home Health Care Agency will gather specific information, which is protected under the HIPAA policies, along with future information regarding healthcare progression or treatment. Any information gathered by Vancouver Home Health Care Agency will be confidential and protected not only under the laws of HIPAA but the policies of Vancouver Home Health Care Agency.

Entire agreement.

These Policy, together with the Health Information Accountability and Portability Act constitute the entire agreement between you and in relation to your use of this website, and supersede all previous agreements in respect of your use of this website.

Law and jurisdiction.

These Health Information Accountability and Portability Act will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of , and any disputes relating to these Health Information Accountability and Portability Act will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of The Supreme Court of the United States.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact our office at the information listed below.

If you require additional information or have any questions about our site’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, please feel free to contact us by email at the below info. Thank you and have an amazing day.

Vancouver Home Health Care Agency,LLC.
201 Northeast Park Plaza Dr, Suite 200
Vancouver, WA 98684-5871 United States
admin@vhhca.com

Update:  Aug 14, 2021.

At Vancouver Home Health Care Agency, caring and compassion is our business…