Two Quick Notes: On Parity and HIPAA for Business Associates

Parity

On November 8, the Administration announced a final rule on Parity of mental health and substance abuse benefits with physical health benefits. The Departments of Health and Human Services along with Labor and the Treasury issued this final rule that

…implements the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, and ensures that health plans features like co-pays, deductibles and visit limits are generally not more restrictive for mental health/substance abuse disorders benefits than they are for medical/surgical benefits.

While health insurers have claimed to be supportive of Parity, their implementation in the absence of a Final Rule has been spotty and challenged by providers. We will now get to see what changes, if any, emerge.

HIPAA for Business Associates

You are a behavioral health provider, right? You have Business Associates, right? You even have Business Associate Agreements with those Business Associates, right? But do your Business Associates really have any idea what HIPAA is all about and what responsibilities and liabilities they have under the law?

You can make sure they have at least been exposed to some information in order to protect yourself, your patients, and their protected health information (PHI) a bit better. Send them the link to this free webinar happening on Tuesday, November 19 and ask them to attend. ID Experts is a fine provider of education and consultation and tools focused on privacy and security. HIPAA Compliance for Business Associates: Ignorance is Not Bliss should be a very instructive event, especially for Business Associates who really do not know their responsibilities.

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Please share any information you have obtained about the Parity Final Rule or about training for Business Associates. We would love to be sure this information is well-circulated.