Tag: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

COVID Vaccines: When is Employee’s Vaccination Status HIPAA-protected?

Whether an employee’s COVID-19 vaccination status is protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has been (or should be) on the minds of all HR personnel as of late. That’s especially true as we await the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) impending rule that will likely require employers with 100 or more employees […]

Avoiding snares in workplace wellness programs

by David L. Johnson Encouraged by health insurance companies, workplace wellness programs have become trendy. Wellness programs help prevent disease and encourage employees to adopt healthier lifestyles. What could possibly go wrong? Well, wellness programs involve biometric screenings, medical questionnaires, and health risk assessments. If the information is in the hands of a third party […]

EEOC issues final regs governing wellness

by Sara Anne Quinn Many employers use wellness incentive programs to encourage their employees to lead healthy and active lifestyles. Wellness programs often include questionnaires or health assessments that request employees’ private health information. Although the programs are explicitly allowed under federal laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Affordable […]

Employers must comply with new HIPAA privacy and security regulations

by Gene Magee As if learning the ropes under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) isn’t enough, employers offering health benefits to employees also need to gear up to comply with new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations that go into effect later this year. This article provides an overview of where the new […]

Employees Hold the Key to Employers’ Data Security

by Mark Wiletsky It has become almost commonplace to hear that a government agency or private corporation has been the victim of a data security breach. As a result, hundreds of customers’ or employees’ personal data is at risk of being used for criminal purposes such as identity theft. Approximately 70 percent of those breaches […]