Media Mentions
2008
Heidi Echols was quoted in the November 3 issue of AMNews in an article regarding the AMA and other groups winning a six-month reprieve for doctors to implement a prevention program originally mandated for November 1. "HIPAA covers how an entity uses and discloses protected health information to avoid unauthorized breaches," Ms. Echols said.
Heidi Y. Echols, Electronic Data Management, Privacy & Discovery, Health, HIPAA Privacy Solutions, Privacy and Identity Theft Issues
Heidi Echols was quoted in the October 27 issue of Modern Healthcare in an article regarding Healthcare providers having another six months to adopt programs that comply with the Federal Trade Commission's "red flags" rule. "Hospitals should start by reviewing their privacy policies already in place under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as well as those existing but unwritten procedures-then fill in the gaps. The process may be simpler than many fear, but it takes time and requires board approval, so the extra six months to get it done is very welcome," Ms. Echols said.
Heidi Y. Echols, Health, Privacy and Identity Theft Issues
Heidi Y. Echols was quoted in the October 27 issue of AmedNews in the article, "Caught Unaware, Doctors Get Delay in FTC Enforcement of ID Theft Rules," regarding the delay in enforcement of the FTC's identify theft "red flag" rules. Ms Echols said the red flag rules go even further than HIPAA: "HIPAA covers how an entity uses and discloses protected health information" to avoid unauthorized breaches, but the red flag rules add another layer of protection by requiring doctors to respond to evidence of medical identity theft even when it is presented to a physician's office after a patient's information has been stolen from elsewhere. "It is something designed to protect patients," Ms. Echols said.
Heidi Y. Echols, Health, Health - Information Systems
Heidi Echols was quoted in the October 27 issue of Modern Healthcare in an article regarding healthcare providers having another six months to adopt programs that comply with the Federal Trade Commission's vaguely understood call for identity-theft prevention and detection, known as the "red flags" rule. "The process may be simpler than many fear, but it takes time and requires board approval, so the extra six months to get it done is very welcome. There was a little bit of panic in the industry. It snuck up on people," Ms. Echols said.
Heidi Y. Echols, Health, Privacy and Identity Theft Issues
2007
Heidi Echols was quoted in the November 2007 issue of HCPro in an article regarding physicians adopting electronic health records (EHR). "Some physicians fear that hospitals will use shared EHR software to monitor them inappropriately. Although some IT arrangements may allow hospitals access to physicians' medical records, this shouldn't be considered a negative consequence," Ms. Echols said.
Heidi Y. Echols was quoted in the November 2007 issue of HealthLeaders Media in an article regarding regulations for health information technology donations for electronic health record systems. "The regulations are really there to support and promote interoperability, so they’re hoping that at some point there is more access, but it doesn’t alter the regulatory framework that everybody is practicing under," Ms. Echols said.
Heidi Y. Echols, Health, Health - Information Systems
2006
Stephen Bernstein, Bernadette Broccolo and Heidi Echols were quoted in the August 24 issue of BNA's Health Law Reporter. Ms. Broccolo commented, "I'm not sure the government entirely realizes how big a task it's taken on for itself, but I do applaud the meaningful progress these regulations represent." Ms. Echols and Mr. Bernstein described the hurdles to implementing the 15 percent cost-sharing provision in the electronic health records exception. "A hospital licenses a software package for an unlimited number of users who fit within a certain category or meet certain criteria so when it rolls it out it is hard to know what the precise cost will be per person," Ms. Echols said. Mr. Bernstein added, "There may be things hospital donors want to pay for and there may be things that they don't. There also may be things they are precluded from paying for that are still rolled into the package."
Stephen W. Bernstein, Bernadette M. Broccolo, Heidi Y. Echols, Health
