I am an officer in a volunteer fire department EMS unit. Must we create a notice of privacy practices if we don’t bill patients or transfer PHI electronically?
HIPAA Weekly Advisor, November 13, 2006
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If your EMS unit does not bill patients electronically or transmit other covered transactions (e.g., electronic inquiries to insurance companies for patient eligibility), it is not a covered entity under HIPAA and you are not required to comply with the regulations. You should, of course, protect the privacy of the patients you serve, but you are not required to provide a notice of privacy practices or meet other HIPAA requirements for covered entities.
Editor's note: Mary Brandt, president of Bellaire, TX-based Brandt & Associates, LLC, answered this question. This is not legal advice. Consult your attorney for legal matters.
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