HIPAA: A Practical Guide to the Privacy and Security of Health Data

HIPAA privacy regulations have been the subject of countless hours of study, analysis, and compliance efforts within the health care industry and beyond. Almost two decades later, and more than 15 years after the first edition of this book, the privacy and security requirements of HIPAA are the subject of significant confusion and uncertainty. As the laws and social pressure evolve and tighten the reigns on health care privacy, patients and providers will continue to become more concerned about maintaining the security and privacy of data while rising to the challenge of balancing privacy while promoting patient access and quality care.

This revised and updated edition creates a useful guide for those who are new to HIPAA as well as provide updates for seasoned veterans of HIPAA. This book expands on the first edition and includes the Security Rule, the HITECH Act, and the Breach Notification Rule along with extensive discussion about HIPAA's parameters, practical applications, and lessons learned over the past 15 years. To assist you in complying with HIPAA's complex requirements, this book also includes forms and experiential anecdotes that you will find helpful in your ongoing HIPAA compliance efforts.

June Sullivan is a health law attorney and the Senior Director of Compliance and Privacy at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS).  She oversees all activities related to the development, implementation, maintenance of the Compliance and Privacy Program.  She advises researchers; healthcare providers; employees and students on federal and state laws in a variety of areas including privacy; compliance; risk management; conflicts of interest; contracts; and procurements.  Before coming to UMMS, she was Associate General Counsel at UnitedHealthcare.  Prior to that, she was a partner at the law firm of Halloran & Sage in Hartford, Connecticut where she practiced health law for ten years.  She has a health law certificate and law degree from Quinnipiac University.  She also has a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy and Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology.  She is Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) and Healthcare Compliance (CHC).  She is the author of the first and second edition of HIPAA: A Practical Guide to the Privacy and Security of Health Data. 

Shannon B. Hartsfield is a health lawyer whose practice focuses on corporate compliance, particularly in the regulatory and data privacy areas. She is Board Certified in Health Law by the Florida Board of Legal Specialization and Education. She advises clients on state and federal matters, including healthcare compliance, internal investigations, HIPAA and data privacy, cyberliability and reducing risk, consumer protection relating to privacy, long-term care, fraud and abuse, licensure, EMTALA, electronic medical records and prescription drug distribution. Ms. Hartsfield's clients include health plans and insurers, medical technology companies, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, nursing homes, hospitals and large clinics, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, pharmacies, tissue banks, medical and benefit management companies, religious institutions and data analytics companies, among others. Ms. Hartsfield is a past Chair of the ABA Health Law Section’s eHealth, Privacy & Security Interest Group.