We participate in an organized health care arrangement (OHCA). How are we to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule's requirements for providing notices and obtaining individuals' acknowledgements of the notice?

Answer:

Health care providers and other covered entities that participate in an organized health care arrangement (OHCA) may use a single, joint notice that covers all of the participating covered entities (provided that the conditions at 45 CFR 164.520(d) are met), or may each maintain separate notices. Where a joint notice is provided to an individual by any one of the covered entities to which the joint notice applies, the Privacy Rule’s requirements for providing the notice are satisfied for all others covered by the joint notice. If the joint notice is provided to an individual by a direct treatment provider participating in the OHCA, the provider must make a good faith effort to obtain the individual’s written acknowledgment of receipt of the joint notice. Where the joint notice is provided to the individual by a participating covered entity other than a direct treatment provider, no acknowledgment need be obtained.

However, where covered entities participating in an OHCA choose to maintain separate notices, each covered entity from which an individual obtains services must provide its notice to the individual in accordance with the applicable requirements of 45 CFR 164.520(c). In addition, each direct treatment provider within the OHCA must make a good faith effort to obtain the individual’s acknowledgment of the notice he or she provides.

Date Created: 12/20/2002