2005-04-27 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

As the third party administrator of your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Plan and/or COBRA Continuation Services, Acclaim Benefits will occasionally send you e-mails to inform you of plan administration issues, important legislative changes, or technical compliance issues. Please read the following message regarding the new HIPAA Security Requirements. The compliance date for HIPAA security requirements - part of HIPAA's administrative simplification provisions - is nearly here. Acclaim Benefits, as a business associate of your health plan, may frequently or occasionally provide services to your health plan and/or health FSA that involve electronic protected health information. Therefore, it is required that the Business Associate Addendum that you signed when the HIPAA privacy rule became effective needs to be amended to comply with HIPAA security requirements. As part of our commitment to service with your plan, we have drafted an amendment to the Business Associate Addendum, which is attached. You will need to fill in your company name and "Covered Entity(ies)" above the signature line at the bottom of the Amendment. Please remember that the "Covered Entity(ies)" on whose behalf Acclaim Benefits is entrusted with protected health information is (are) one or more health plans sponsored by you the employer that covers your employees. Since the "Covered Entity" is not the plan's employer/sponsor but the plan itself, the Amendment (like the Addendum) must be executed in the name of the health plan and/or health FSA that Acclaim Benefits helps to administer. For health plans with more than $5 million in annual receipts (premiums for self-insured plans and HFSA or claims for insured plans), the HIPAA security compliance date is April 20, 2005. For health plans with $5 million or less in annual receipts, the HIPAA security compliance date is April 20, 2006. (Even though this is a year away, it is acceptable to execute the agreement at this time.) Please have the appropriate person sign where indicated and return one original signed copy to my attention. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 763-278-4782.