It looks like I've touched a live wire here! I certainly have no problem with the NPP as a pedagogical tool to inform patients and members of their HIPAA privacy protections. The few that I've seen seem to be short and "readable" re-hashes of the privacy rule. For example: We may disclose for TPO, Where Required by Law or for Public Health Activities, To Avert a Serious Threat to Health or Safety, For Law Enforcement or Specific Government Functions, etc. And that we'll get a written authorization from you for certain other things not allowed by the law - and you have a right to inspect and amend records, get disclosures, file complaints, and so on.
Since distributing the NPP and gathering acknowledgements is expensive, I doubt many (providers or payers) would have done it unless compelled by the law. But at the end of the day, how would a patient be "harmed" by not having received the NPP on her first visit? Even if the patient is not (now) familiar with the law, the provider (or insurance company) is! She's still protected (somewhat) by the law, whether or not she knows of its existence. And most anyone has some intuition that she's been wronged if the hospital gives away her most intimate health information to just anyone (the press?) - which explains why Congress thought it was important to codify this stuff into law. Now when she complains, her lawyer has an additional tool to work with. But her HIPAA privacy protections don't simply disappear because she couldn't read the notice. And, assuming the provider (or insurance company) is otherwise diligent in obeying the law (e.g., he actually protects PHI), how is he more vulnerable because he didn't have the notice printed in 16 different languages and Braille? William J. Kammerer Novannet, LLC. Columbus, US-OH 43221-3859 +1 (614) 487-0320 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ribelin, Donald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WEDI SNIP Privacy Workgroup List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, 27 January, 2003 08:11 AM Subject: RE: NPP and illiterate population Yes William I do believe that some will read my company's NPP. Let me list a few. * Some patients * Some patient's lawyer * OCR after some patient files a complaint with HHS * The jurors at the trial over the harm caused to some patient * Some employee who also becomes a "some patient" Donald L. Ribelin HIPAA Project Manager Firsthealth of the Carolinas (910) 215-2668 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: William J. Kammerer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 6:25 PM To: WEDI SNIP Privacy Workgroup List Subject: Re: NPP and illiterate population Why agonize over it? Do you really believe anyone is going to read these things? I'm literate - with full command of the English language - yet I've never read one of those stupid GLB privacy notices from banks and credit card companies, and probably would not have the patience to keep track of all the subparts and insofar as'es. And what's with that tiny type they always use? William J. Kammerer Novannet, LLC. Columbus, US-OH 43221-3859 +1 (614) 487-0320 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jennifer Peters" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WEDI SNIP Privacy Workgroup List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, 24 January, 2003 05:49 PM Subject: RE: NPP and illiterate population How is everyone handling a situation where a patient is literate, but unable to comprehend the NPP? -----Original Message----- From: Bentz-Miller, Judith [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 11:10 AM To: WEDI SNIP Privacy Workgroup List Subject: RE: NPP and illiterate population We will be RECORDING it as a voice mail message (our system handles over 12 minutes!) and having an extension, with access on both the local line and 800 line. We are also having a privacy (800 number) hotline set up and both numbers will be listed on business cards. Business cards will be located at each receptionist desk. -----Original Message----- From: Traci Winter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 10:38 AM To: WEDI SNIP Privacy Workgroup List Subject: NPP and illiterate population I know our NPP is supposed to be easy to read and understand, but one of our committee members brought up an interesting thought. What do we do with our illiterate population and our patients who are legally blind. In the area we service this a definite issue. Should we put the NPP on an audio cassette so the patients whom are unable to read it can listen to it? Opinions appreciated. Traci Winter Hospitals Home Health Care, Inc. --- The WEDI SNIP listserv to which you are subscribed is not moderated. The discussions on this listserv therefore represent the views of the individual participants, and do not necessarily represent the views of the WEDI Board of Directors nor WEDI SNIP. If you wish to receive an official opinion, post your question to the WEDI SNIP Issues Database at http://snip.wedi.org/tracking/. These listservs should not be used for commercial marketing purposes or discussion of specific vendor products and services. They also are not intended to be used as a forum for personal disagreements or unprofessional communication at any time. You are currently subscribed to wedi-privacy as: [email protected] To unsubscribe from this list, go to the Subscribe/Unsubscribe form at http://subscribe.wedi.org or send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you need to unsubscribe but your current email address is not the same as the address subscribed to the list, please use the Subscribe/Unsubscribe form at http://subscribe.wedi.org
