Policy VI.6004.A, Compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Purpose

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is federal legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information. As part of their completion of either an Associate of Applied Science Degree or a Certificate of Technology program, many of our students participate in opportunities at local hospitals and clinics that are HIPAA health entities.  This policy will inform students and employees that San Jacinto College complies with the HIPAA related policies of the hospitals and clinics with whom the College is affiliated.  In addition, violations of this policy will be handled by the HIPAA health entity, the responsible program area at the College, and the College’s Compliance and Judicial Affairs office.

The College is not required to have a policy solely related to HIPAA as the College is not considered a HIPAA health entity.  Health records given to the College by students are covered by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and are considered educational records.

Policy

It is the policy of San Jacinto College to require that all individuals who are affiliated with the College and who are working with an affiliated health entity that is a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), comply with that entity’s HIPAA-related policies.  Violations of the covered entity’s HIPAA-related policies will be handled by the covered entity, the College, and/or the College program area in which the individual is affiliated.

Definitions

HIPAA: is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and it protects all individually identifiable health information that is held or transmitted by a covered entity or a business associate.  The College is not bound by HIPAA; however, the hospitals, clinics, or labs with whom we are associated in our instructional programs are considered covered entities by HIPAA. 

The Authority, Applicability, Sanctions, Exclusions, and Interpretation do not differ from Policy II.2000.A, Policy and Procedures Development, Review, Revision, and Rescission.

Associated Procedures

Procedure VI.6004.A.a, Compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)