Eliminate The Stress Of Required HIPAA Training:

HCCS RELEASES NEW MULTIMEDIA HIPAA TRAINING COURSEWARE

-- For educating healthcare employees on the HIPAA regulations

JERICHO NY USA -- June 18, 2002 -- HCCS (Health Care Compliance Strategies, Inc.) today announced the release of "HIPAA Compliance," a multimedia computer-based training course for educating healthcare employees on the HIPAA regulations.  Developed by leading HIPAA experts, the software combines video scenarios, audio, text and interactive exercises, to create an engaging and cost effective method of educating healthcare employees on the requirements of HIPAA.

TRAIN ALL EMPLOYEES

The HCCS HIPAA Compliance courseware is designed for all employees in all healthcare organizations, which fall under the government mandate requiring HIPAA training. This includes hospitals, health systems, long term care, home health care, ambulatory care, physician practices and groups, health plans, managed care organizations, HMOs, pharmaceutical companies and other health care entities.

COMPREHENSIVE

The program provides a comprehensive overview of the HIPAA regulations, and will provide between 30 minutes and 2 hours of content to each person taking the course, depending upon their job responsibilities. From the introductory HIPAA Awareness module, through the job-function-specific Privacy, Security and Electronic Transactions modules, the course offers general and detailed rules, procedures, safeguards, suggestions and exercises. The courseware contains the latest proposed privacy regulations and is automatically kept up to date.

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TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE:

-- Overview of HIPAA Administrative Simplification

-- Introduction of key Administrative Simplification concepts

-- Covered Entities

-- Protected Health Information (PHI)

-- Notice of Privacy Practices

-- Privacy and Security Policy and Procedure Development

-- Reasonable Safeguards

-- Password Protections

-- Electronic Transaction Formats

-- Code Sets

-- Enforcement and Penalties for Violations

-- Reviews definitions of Privacy Rule key terms

-- PHI and IIHI

-- De-identification

-- Privacy Notice information

-- Routine and non-routine uses and disclosures of PHI

-- Authorization Form requirements and when they are needed

-- Rights to PHI for unemancipated minors

-- Patient right to access, inspect and/or copy personal PHI

-- Requests by patients to amend PHI

-- Accounting of non-routine disclosures

-- Requirements for Business Associates contracts

-- Liability for Business Associates misuse of PHI

-- Security rule introduction

-- Administrative procedures

-- Security policies & procedures

-- Security issues

-- Security training requirements

-- Physical Safeguards

-- Computer system and facility security and control, and workstation security

-- Technical Security Services & Mechanisms

-- Electronic signatures overview

-- Electronic Transactions Introduction Sub-Module

-- Implementation deadlines

-- Eight transaction format categories

-- Implementation Suggestions

-- Importance of information flow

-- Examples of information that should be included in the process

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MEASUREMENT & ACCREDITATION

Each section contains multimedia scenarios that demonstrate compliance risk areas and solutions. Short multiple choice quizzes at the end of each module measure each employee's comprehension. In addition, completion certificates and CME/CEU credits are available.

POLICIES & PROCEDURES

A special feature of the HIPAA Compliance courseware allows for employees using the courseware to read and "electronically sign" the organization's specific policies & procedures documents. Proof of signature is provided and documented for the administration for every employee.

UPDATES & REPORTING

The courseware is another in a series of "Connected Learning" products from HCCS. Clients using HCCS Connected Learning products receive frequent automated updates to the courses as regulations, documents, legal rulings, settlements and other new information becomes available. Furthermore, the courses allow trainees to input questions during training for a two-way dialogue with the administration. The HCCS course also provides detailed monthly reporting for measuring completion and effectiveness of the training.  HCCS courseware uses multimedia and interactive elements to keep users engaged and informed. Full screen video with professional actors dramatizing real HIPAA compliance issues keeps the attention level high.  Completion certificates and CME/CEU credits are available for users who complete the course.  HCCS' other multimedia compliance training programs, "Fraud Awareness -- Professional Compliance" and "Fraud Awareness -- Corporate Compliance," are designed to educate physicians and employees in hospitals and health systems. They are in use at over 200 health systems nationwide, with over 150,000 registered users. The HCCS course "Physician Office Compliance -- Proper Reimbursements and Reduced Risk," which includes an overview of the HIPAA rules affecting small offices, is available for group practices of 1 to 6 physicians.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

For additional information on HCCS, visit their website at:

http://www.hccs.com

or call toll free (877) 933-4227.

David M. Rosenthal

Health Care Compliance Strategies, Inc.

30 Executive Plaza, Suite 400C

Jericho NY USA 11753

(516)478-4100 phone

(516) 478-6773 fax

email address: dmr@hccs.com

http://www.hccs.com

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