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NAIFA Partners With Simplified Training Solutions to Offer HIPAA Privacy and Security Tools and Training

Contact:

Lee Allen, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, NAIFA
(703) 770-8112 (office)
(703) 336-2462 (mobile)

FALLS CHURCH, VA (February 2, 2010) — The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) announces it will offer Simplified Training Solutions’ “HIPAA Privacy/Security and HITECH Tool Kit for Agents, Brokers and Consultants” to its membership of 54,000.

Starting on February 17, 2010, health insurance agents and brokers must comply with a new version of HIPAA privacy and security, one that has real teeth. The genesis for these new regulations is the electronic medical records provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) or stimulus act. These new provisions have raised the expectation of compliance (and punishment for non-compliance) for all Covered Entities. Agents, brokers, consultants and for the first time business associates are classified as Covered Entities.

NAIFA Members are eligible for a 10% discount.

Visit www.simplified
training.com or call 1 (800) 344-6381 and mention "NAIFA09" to receive your 10% member discount.

“The law requires periodic audits of covered entities by the Office of Civil Rights to ensure compliance,” explains David C. Smith, author of the tool kit and vice president of Fayetteville, NC-based Ebenconcepts Company. “The current version of HIPAA privacy and security limits enforcement actions to complaints. The new law makes compliance a must.”

“NAIFA members who work in the health insurance and employee benefits arenas understand HIPAA regulations are an important component of the adoption of Electronic Health Records, the next major change in administering healthcare,” states NAIFA’s Acting CEO, Susan B. Waters, DM, CAE. “The Simplified Training Solutions tool kit will help our members become compliant with HIPAA privacy and security as well as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley privacy requirements.”

Other features of the new law include:

  1. Email transmission of personal health information (PHI) must be encrypted.
  2. If a laptop is lost or stolen and has protected health information on the computer, all potentially impacted individuals must be notified.
  3. Agents must collect signed Business Associate agreements from any third party with whom an agent shares PHI. This includes any agent with whom there is a commission sharing, or additional parties that may have access to your client’s PHI such as cleaning companies or IT firms.

The fines and penalties for noncompliance are significantly higher and have been in effect since February 2009. It is important that agents that provide health insurance be ready before February 2010.

About Simplified Training Solutions: Since 2003, Simplified Training Solutions has delivered training and communications materials for employer associations, third party administrators, CPAs and financial advisors, state societies, national physicians associations, specialty groups, long term care facilities, and health information management organizations to meet federally mandated compliance regulations. When creating training products, they collaborate with prominent health law and business attorneys and e-health consultants so you can feel sure the materials they offer will be accurate. Your success is their primary goal. For more information about Simplified Training Solutions, please visit www.simplifiedtraining.com. Simplified Training Solutions is a subsidiary of Raleigh-based marketing and communications firm Connections Too (www.connectionstoo.com).

About NAIFA: The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors comprises more than 700 state and local associations representing the interests of approximately 200,000 agents and their associates nationwide. NAIFA members focus their practices on one or more of the following: life insurance and annuities, health insurance and employee benefits, multiline, and financial advising and investments. The Association’s mission is to advocate for a positive legislative and regulatory environment, enhance business and professional skills, and promote the ethical conduct of its members.