Data Privacy and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
PHI is the personal information that's protected by federal law whenever someone interacts with doctors, clinics, research labs, or other covered entities that uses this sensitive information.
The University of Montana maintains Policy 440 - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect the privacy of individual health information. UM is defined as a “hybrid entity” under HIPAA regulations because it is a covered entity whose activities include both covered and non-covered functions. Whenever a project involves obtaining protected health information (PHI) from a “covered entity,” as defined by HIPAA, proper authorization must be obtained from each individual. The University of Montana has identified the following units as health care components:
- Curry Health Center Services
- DeWit RiteCare Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic
- Health Center Pharmacy
- MonTech (includes Montana Adaptive Equipment and Montana Assistive Technology Programs)
- New Directions Wellness Center
- Rhinehart Athletic Training Center
- UM Physical Therapy Clinic (formerly Nora Staael Evert Clinic)
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights: HIPAA general information
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights: Omnibus HIPAA Rulemaking
The University of Montana maintains Policy 440 - Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect the privacy of individual health information. UM is defined as a “hybrid entity” under HIPAA regulations because it is a covered entity whose activities include both covered and non-covered functions. Whenever a project involves obtaining protected health information (PHI) from a “covered entity,” as defined by HIPAA, proper authorization must be obtained from each individual. The University of Montana has identified the following units as health care components:
- Curry Health Center Services
- DeWit RiteCare Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic
- Health Center Pharmacy
- MonTech (includes Montana Adaptive Equipment and Montana Assistive Technology Programs)
- New Directions Wellness Center
- Rhinehart Athletic Training Center
- UM Physical Therapy Clinic (formerly Nora Staael Evert Clinic)
Policies and Procedures
- HIPAA Privacy Manual
- HIPAA Privacy Rule
- IRB HIPAA Policy for Researchers
- HIPAA Privacy Basics for Providers
Related Links
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights: HIPAA general information
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Civil Rights: Omnibus HIPAA Rulemaking