Geisinger Health System HIPAA position statement
Geisinger Health System ("Geisinger"), is conducting aggressive efforts to ensure compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") and its accompanying regulations. Since January 2000, Geisinger has dedicated resources and personnel to ensure that the organization meets all applicable compliance deadlines. Workgroups are developing policies and procedures to ensure compliance in the following major areas: Transaction and Code Sets, Privacy, Security, and National Identifiers. Additionally, all business operations and practices are being reviewed in light of HIPAA requirements.

Other efforts of interest to our business associates and trading partners include:

• Privacy Officer has been named
• Geisinger executive management support
• Conducting regular meetings with senior management
• On-going employee awareness initiatives
• Participation in seminars, conferences and meetings with trade associations such as WEDI SNIP (Workgroup for EDI Strategic National Implementation Plan), AFEHCT (Association For Electronic Health Care Transactions), AAHP (American Association of Health Plans) and MCAP (Managed Care Association of Pennsylvania)
• Subscriptions to and participation in various HIPAA listserves
• Holding regular meetings with vendors
• Participation in HIPAA Webinars and audiocasts

Geisinger provides the information above to demonstrate its intent and commitment to achieving the compliance deadlines as set forth in the various regulations. Per the December 2001 Administrative Simplification Compliance Act, all covered entities except small health plans may submit for a one-year extension for compliance with the HIPAA Electronic Transactions and Code Sets standards. It is Geisinger's intent to file for this one-year extension. If you would like to discuss this in greater detail, please contact the Geisinger HIPAA Program Management Office project manager, Gary Kurtz, at 570-271-8189.