3 Reasons For HIPAA Training

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Training is a requirement for all US healthcare workers. However, the term "healthcare workers" has quite a broad meaning, so it might be somewhat difficult to understand exactly who falls under this category. Read below to find out more about who is obliged to undergo HIPAA training as well as some info on the training process.

• Who Must Be Trained:

Anyone working for an institution or organization that is likely to have contact with protected health information or patient records should undergo HIPAA program. Such institutions include, but are not limited to hospitals, private medical clinics, health insurance companies, law companies specialized in health matters, and vendors working with healthcare facilities.

HIPAA training is a requirement not only for the paid members of these institutions (the employees), but also for trainees, volunteers, or students associated with the institution. The type of HIPAA training (Basic or Advanced) each member has to take depends on whether he or she has direct access to patient data and other confidential information or not. For example, a doctor would have to pass the HIPAA Advanced training, while a maintenance worker would only have to take the HIPAA Basic training.

• When Must HIPAA Training Be Completed:

Health workers who fall under the categories mentioned above should take HIPAA program and pass the exams before the regulations become effective. There is no mention of a specific time frame in which new members of the workforce have to take the training; the regulations state only that this must be accomplished within a reasonable period of time.

Since HIPAA regulations are reviewed and updated from time to time, all healthcare workers have to be retrained. This gives them the opportunity to learn about all the changes in the privacy policies or procedures. Once again, the period of time in which the workers have to be retrained is not mandated.

• Worker Responsibilities and HIPAA Training Requirements:

Upon completion of the HIPAA program, members have to sign a document which states the date of the training and their willingness to abide by the privacy policies, procedures, and other HIPAA regulations. Every three years, healthcare workers have the obligation to recertify.

All medical personnel, regardless of their job description, should undergo HIPAA awareness training. During this awareness training, personnel can learn about security regulations and procedures, the importance of password maintenance, incident reporting, and so on.

Workers with direct access to health information should receive customized HIPAA program, during which they can learn about the responsibilities they have in keeping health information confidential. All healthcare institutions have to make sure that workers receive periodic security reminders in which they are made aware of any current concerns or changes in policies and regulations.

HIPAA training is an essential step in the qualification of healthcare workers. The information provided above is meant to help you realize if you too should undergo this type of training, when you should begin it, and what you are supposed to do upon completion.

How Bars and Taverns Go About Getting Liquor Insurance

In designing an appropriate policy for liquor insurance, an insurance agent will need to know answers to specific questions in order to put together a good risk management plan. One of the first thing the agent needs to know is what is the total value of the establishment including the building, the property on which it sits, the fixtures within it and all inventory. The cost of replacing all of these assets must be determined.

Another question will be about how much of the bar's sales will alcohol account for. In cases where that amount is over 50 percent, it is usually considered the bar will be at greater risk, and tavern insurance premiums will be higher.

What kind of games will patrons be able to play at the bar? This could include anything from darts and billiards to rock climbing and trampolines in more elaborate facilities. Bar owners will save money on liquor insurance if their facility keeps potentially injurious games to a minimum.

An insurance agent will also follow the dram shop liability laws in the state in which the bar exists. These laws dictate what the owner of the bar's liability will be if someone (a third party) is injured by a customer who is intoxicated. It's a good idea to consult an agency that's experienced in tavern insurance or an attorney who specializes in dram shop liability.

If there will be one or more vehicles that bar employees use and that are dedicated just to commercial use, keep in mind that the vehicles are not covered by personal automobile insurance policies. Talk with your agent about the best way to insure them.

Your agent will also assess your bar's risk of damage by natural disasters in the area you operate in. Naturally, liquor insurance policies will be higher in an area prone to hurricanes than one in which no natural disasters have ever occurred.

Another consideration in tavern insurance is will the bar serve food. There are many ways a bar owner can be liable when patrons eat food on the premises including cases of choking or poisoning from old or rotten food.

As you can see, there are many aspects to putting together an adequate tavern insurance policy. Each establishment is unique, and experienced insurance agents have a long list of questions they need to know the answers to before they can write your policy. The goal of every reputable agency is to protect their client against all manner of liability issues that could crop up at any point that the bar is in business.