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Reference: HIPAA healthcare privacy requirements
Note: Stratford generally has no access to patient
information and, as such, probably has no obligation to be in
compliance with the privacy provisions of the HIPAA law.
See more below. Stratford does
not provide billing services for healthcare providers. Stratford
does not keep any patient information for providers. Even if
Stratford should receive data from a physician, no attempt shall be
made to keep that information. The patient information, if any,
included in the data will be destroyed during the testing purpose.
No attempt shall be made to keep the information for any purpose
other than testing Stratford software.
Stratford does provide software to providers to use
on their own computer equipment for the purpose of healthcare
billing. Stratford is now in full compliance with HIPAA requirements
for EDI. This notice is being posted primarily because some of
Stratford's provider customers have expressed their desire to have
all their vendors be in compliance, or at least post a notice.
The language used in our Notice of Privacy Practice was taken from 'Sample
Business Associate Contract Provisions' posted on the web site controlled by the
US Department of Health & Human Services. The Internet address of this sample
contract is listed elsewhere on this web site.
This is a contract
between Stratford Software, Inc (PDF format*)
and any of its customers that may be required to comply with the
HIPAA privacy rule. If you believe that you need a HIPAA 'BA'
agreement with Stratford, please download our agreement and sign it
- then send it to Stratford for our signature. If you need an
original, please print and sign 2 copies. Please include a
self-addressed stamped envelope so we can be sure to get the
agreement back to the correct person.
Download the
Stratford
HIPAA - BA agreement
by clicking
here
HIPAA-BA Privacy compliance
Click here to see our
agreement. If
you are a Stratford customer and you believe you need an HIPAA 'BA'
agreement from Stratford, please download this
document (pdf*),
print and sign it and return it to Stratford. We will return a copy
to you. If you need an original, please print and sign 2 copies and
send 2 copies to us. Please include a self-addressed stamped
envelope so we can be sure to get the agreement back to the correct
person.Thank you.
Medical Privacy National Standards
to Protect the Privacy of
Personal Health Information
OCR Guidance Explaining Significant Aspects of the Privacy Rule
- December 4, 2002
** Here is more information **
http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/resources/hipaa-resource-and-information-guide.html
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/coveredentities/businessassociates.html
Q:
Is a software vendor a business associate of a covered entity?
A:
The mere selling or providing of software to a covered entity does
not give rise to a business associate relationship if the vendor
does not have access to the protected health information of the
covered entity. If the vendor does need access to the
protected health information of the covered entity in order to
provide its service, the vendor would be a business associate of the
covered entity. For example, a software company that hosts the
software containing patient information on its own server or
accesses patient information when troubleshooting the software
function, is a business associate of a covered entity. In
these examples, a covered entity would be required to enter into a
business associate agreement before allowing the software company
access to protected health information. However, when an employee of
a contractor, like a software or information technology vendor, has
his or her primary duty station on-site at a covered entity, the
covered entity may choose to treat the employee of the vendor as a
member of the covered entity’s workforce, rather than as a business
associate. See the definition of “workforce” at 45 CFR
160.103.
If you believe you need a 'BA' agreement with
Stratford Software, Inc. please download our
agreement(pdf*
format), print it and mail it to Stratford at the address listed
in the 'CONTACT' page - you can click the link at the top or bottom
of every page of this web site.
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