This one-of-a-kind, hands-on tool helps health care providers and their legal counsel navigate the often murky waters of the HIPAA Privacy Act. Containing 37 policies and procedures and the forms necessary to implement those policies and procedures, the Manual provides the day-to-day guidance necessary to allow the physician's office to respond to routine, everyday inquiries about protected health information, as well as the framework to enable the Privacy Officer and health care provider's counsel to properly respond to even non-routine issues.

The Manual is organized in a way that parallels the various aspects of the HIPAA Privacy Act and covers areas that include General Policies, Uses and Disclosures of Medical Information Without Patient Authorization, and Operational Issues and Patient Rights.

The second edition incorporates changes required""HITECH") Act and the most recent regulations. Changes of particular note include breach notification and new rules that directly require compliance from business associates.