Healthcare privacy and data security has become one of the major policy, technology and operations issues in American healthcare. The compliance date for the HIPAA privacy rule of April 14, 2003 has passed, but the second generation of HIPAA privacy protections are still being put into place. Covered entities must comply with the HIPAA transactions and data code sets by October 16, 2003. There is substantial concern that the October transition to the transactions and code sets will not go smoothly. The final HIPAA security rule has been issued. Although the compliance date for the security rule is April 2005, it is being implemented by many covered entities in conjunction with privacy rule compliance initiatives. HIPAA does not preempt more restrictive state law. Thus, in effect, there are 50 state schemes in healthcare privacy and security, subject to certain federal minimum standards. This complex mix of federal and state law and regulation creates a maze through which healthcare organizations must navigate. Compliance will be not only complex, but also extremely costly as healthcare moves to electronic data interchange and the Internet.

The HIPAA Summit conference series provides a road map to understanding the complex requirements of federal and state law and illuminates strategies for compliance. Through an expert faculty of 75 and over 40 concurrent sessions, the Seventh National HIPAA Summit will go well beyond the simple recitation of the federal HIPAA law and regulations. Of course, the Summit will provide the most up-to-date and sophisticated information on the status and construction of the HIPAA regulations through the presentations of the leading HIPAA regulators from the Department of Health and Human Services. Further, the Summit will provide specific and in-depth analysis of the healthcare privacy and security laws of a number of major states.

The Seventh National HIPAA Summit will focus on the crucial issues of the implementation of the transactions and code sets and the security rule, and will feature practical case studies from the field, including presentations by leading privacy, security and compliance officers from around the country. The Summit will address the complex financial, operational and technical issues that must be addressed not only to comply with the technical requirements of the law, but also to integrate new technologies in order to enhance the efficiency, quality and accessibility of healthcare services..

The planning and implementation of HIPAA requires a joint effort of healthcare executives throughout your organization. Therefore, team attendance is encouraged. Specifically, the Summit will benefit healthcare leadership teams from hospitals, healthcare systems, health plans, TPAs, insurance companies, physician groups, government agencies, consulting firms, solution developers and others, including the following individuals:

• Provide a Basic Background to the HIPAA Law and Regulations
• Anticipate Transactions and Code Sets Compliance Initiatives Necessary to Meet the October 2003 Compliance Date
• Present an Analysis of the Final HIPAA Security Rule and Responsive Compliance Strategies
• Outline the Next Generation of HIPAA Privacy Compliance Strategies following the April 2003 Compliance Date
• Describe and Compare State Approaches to the Regulation of Healthcare Privacy and Data Security
• Describe Prominent MultiInstitutional and/or Regional Approaches to HIPAA Compliance
• Share Case Studies of Organizational Approaches to HIPAA Compliance