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MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />TO: <br />FROM: <br />DATE: <br />RE: <br /> <br />County Commissioners <br />Mark A. JoImson, CAE NDACo Executive Director <br />November 1, 2002 <br />County Appointment of Privacy Officers <br /> <br />Doug Wegh, our HIPAA Coordinator, has expressed his gratitude for the time at the <br />Annual County Commissioner's Association business meeting to discuss his HIPAA <br />compliance efforts on behalf of the counties, and his request that all counties appoint <br />"PRIVACY OFFICERS" as points of contact for the thture. <br /> <br />For those of you that were not able to attend his presentation, he has included the <br />following paragraph of background information. <br /> <br />The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), is a law enacted in <br />1996. Its purpose is several fold: <br /> > improving the portability and continnity of health insurance anverage for groups <br /> and individuals <br /> ~. combating waste, fraud, and abuse in health insurance and health car delivery <br /> } simpli/~,ing the administration o f health insurance -ultimately to help contain <br /> COSTS <br />County Government is drawn into this law by our Health Plans and by <br />Case management Services that are provided by our County Social Service Agencies and <br />in some cases by county employee health plans. <br /> <br />At the present time, as the county HIPAA Coordinator, Doug is reviewing the standards, <br />examining model policies, assessing what the state and counties in other states are doing, <br />and planning for county government in North Dakota to meet the requirements. Towards <br />the end of 2003, we expect that all North Dakota counties will have met the immediate <br />deadlines and Doug's role will come to an end. However, as the requirements of HIPAA <br />will remain with us, each county will have to maintain their HIPAA compliance into the <br />fiature. <br /> <br />At this time, each Cotmty is being asked to appoint Privacy Officers. The local Privacy <br />Officers will work with Doug in instituting the necessary HIPAA Requirements in each <br />county and then they will be responsible for maintaining your county's continuing <br />compliance with the HiPAA Privacy Regulations. These persons would likely also <br />receive HIPAA related complaints and who would handle requests tbr infbrmation, <br /> <br /> <br />