(no, this isn't about too much food & too little exercise!)
I am confused (a rather common state with me!) It was my understanding that counties that are even partially self insured are required to comply with HIPPA. But - the people with the company that handles the claim and so forth swears we don't have to comply. What are y'all doin'? I'm feeling like the proverbial voice in the wilderness calling "prepare!"

By compliance, I am referring to the policies and proceedures for keeping records that have names on them confidential, as well as the education of employees as to how that will be handled.

As always, thanks for the help!

I haven't reviewed the question lately, but my understanding is consonant with yours. Thus, we are attempting to ensure that we are in full compliance with the HIPAA records requirements.

If you have a health department you may have additional HIPAA issues for those that they treat.

Here's the link to the applicable law that I found:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_01/45cfr164_01.html

As far as I can tell, a self funded plan would be a "health plan" under the applicability section.

Anybody for a self-funded health plan discussion group or at least a meeting at the Civil Law seminar? I advise our benefits committee here.

There will be HIPAA talk at the Civil Law Seminar in May but I understand you must be compliant in April. I think we will take a poll on the self-funded and do something in the future.

Let me add another layer to the Hippa issue. I am getting several inquires from my county process servers that the local treatment centers (Pvt mental hosp, alco-drug inpatient treatment centers) are not even letting the process servers in to serve legal papers, even when the server knows the person is there. Any Suggestions??

Putting aside the issue of whether allowing a process server (including a sheriff's deputy) into a facility to serve process is a "disclosure" or "protected health information," the HIPAA regulations provide that protected health information may be disclosed without consent of the covered individual if the disclosure relates to court-issued process. 45 C.F.R. sec. 164.512(e)(ii). There are certain strictures on disclosure with regard to process which can be overcome by entry of a "qualified protective order," which is described at subsection (e)(v). On the other hand, they could emulate their counterparts in movies and dress up like doctors or nurses or janitors or candystripers and sneak in. Whatever works.

I'm not the brightest bulb in the box, and that was confirmed when our county health unit, as well as the county hospital called and wanted to know the effect of HIPPA on their operations. I began to try and read the statute and promptly acquired blurred vision and a severe headache not to mention a surefire cure for insomnia. Is there any recommended reading that will help those of us with fewer brain cells explain the ramifications and solutions of the act? I saw that there might be a topic at the civil seminar but did not see it on the list of sessions. Did I miss something?
Any help would be appreciated.

Sadly, there will not be a session on HIPAA at the Civil Seminar. The only speaker known at the time had another commitment and had to be replaced. There appears to be no short cut solution to this topic, however, many folks in the CLE business will be trying to sell you some information.