Confidentiality of Health Information

Pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), on December 28, 2000, the Secretary of HHS issued final regulations that promulgated federal standards with respect to the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information by a health plan, healthcare provider or healthcare data clearinghouse.

These regulations establish a framework for implementation that impacts privacy, electronic transactions and code sets, national identifiers and the security of Protected Health Information by all health providers, including Bio-Reference Laboratories ("BRLI").

BRLI has formed a HIPAA Oversight Committee, appointed a HIPAA Compliance Officer, established a HIPAA Project Office, and developed a HIPAA Project Plan as a framework for our HIPAA activities. As mandated in the Privacy Rule, a Privacy/Security Officer has also been appointed.

As BRLI’s HIPAA compliance activities advance, our focus remains on BRLI’s responsibilities to the patients, doctors and health care organizations we serve to ensure we meet the HIPAA standards, while not negatively impacting our ability to deliver care. In addition, we defer to the more stringent state CLIA laws, where applicable, regarding the circumstances under which we use and disclose Protected Health Information.

If you have any further questions please contact Dr. Peter B. Gillman at the BRLI HIPAA Project Office directly via email hipaaprojectoffice@bioreference.com or at 800-229-5227 ext 8433.