Health Information Compliance Alert
When Should We Distribute the NPP?
Question:
Minnesota subscriber
Answer: It depends, confirms Kelley Meeusen, privacy officer at Harrison Hospital in Bremerton, WA.
The privacy rule states that providers "must provide the notice no later than the first service delivery " (Sec.164.520[c][2]). However, it does not explicitly state what form the notice must come in.
Good idea: Don't toss out your full NPP on the chance you might not have to provide it. You should make your notice available, but you can offer patients the opportunity to turn down the full notice in favor of the fact sheet, Meeusen suggests.
The last thing a medical office needs is to hinge its compliance program on a few pieces of paper. Make your notice available to all patients - and be sure to obtain their written acknowledgement of your office's efforts.
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