HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-094 MOU - HIPAA JACKSON COUNTY
Oregon
June 26, 2003
Penny Bergman
1005 E, Main Street
Medford, OR 97504
Phone: 541 774-7806
Fax: 541 774-7980
bergmapl@jacksoncounty, org
www.jacksoncounty, org
City of Ashland
20 E. Main Street
Ashland, OR 97520
RE: HIPAA Memoradnum of Understanding
Dear Sir or Madame:
Enclosed please find your executed copy of the above named agreement. If there are any
questions or problems please don't hesitate to call Jackson County's HIPAA coordinator Mark
Orndoff at 774-7878.
Sincerely,
Penny Bergrnan
Enclosure(s). 3
HIPAA MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
BETWEEN
JACKSON COUNTY AND CITY OF ASHLAND
This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is between Jackson County, hereinafter
called County, a political subdivision of the State of Oregon and the City of Ashland, hereinafter
called City, collectively referred to as Parties.
I. RECITALS:
Whereas the Parties are governmental entities subject to the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191 (HIPAA);
Whereas county and city laws, ordinances and agreements contractually require or authorize the
Parties to create, use, share and disclose Protected Health Information (PHI), as that term is
defined in HIPAA,
Whereas the Parties are or may be business associates of the other, as that term is defined in 45
CFR § 160.103 with respect to HIPAA covered functions;
Whereas the Parties may be trading partners of the other, as that term is defined in 45 CFR
{}160.103.
Whereas the Parties may exchange PHI electronically and may transmit data using a
communications network;
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual premises set forth above and other good
and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto agree
as follows:
II. SCOPE OF AGREEMENT:
The purpose of this Agreement is to describe how the Parties will cooperate to achieve H[PAA
compliance involving shared or combined or jointly maintained PHI.
The scope of this Agreement is limited to legal requirements imposed by HIPAA concerning the
creating, maintenance, transmission, use or disclosure of PHI. This Agreement does not
supercede any other federal or state law or regulation, or contractual agreements, describing the
legal relationship between the Parties, their duties and obligations, or the confidentiality of
records or information, except to the extent that HIPAA preempts those laws or legal obligations.
Any ambiguity in this MOU shall be resolved in favor of a meaning that permits the Parties to
comPly with HIPAA. The Parties are separately responsible for their own compliance with
applicable HIPAA requirements, which is outside the scope of this Agreement. This Agreement
only addresses circumstances in which the Parties perform, assist in the performance of a
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function or activity, or administration thereof, involving the creating, maintenance, use,
transmission or disclosure of PHI for Covered Functions, in connection with, or on behalf of, the
other.
The definitions HIPAA ascribes to Covered Entity, Covered Functions, Disclosure, Individually
Identifiable Health Information and Protected Health Information apply to and control the use of
the words in this MOU.
III.
PERMITTED USES AND DISCLOSURE OF PROTECTED HEALTH
INFORMATION:
The Parties may:
1. Make any and ail uses of PHI necessary to perform their obligations under state and
federal law and agreement. All other uses not authorized by law or this MOU are prohibited.
2. Use PHI in its possession for its proper management and administration and to fulfill any
present or future legal responsibilities of the party, provided that such uses are permitted under
state and federal confidentiality laws.
3. Disclose the PHI in its possession to third parties for the purpose of its property
management and administration or to fulfill any present or future legal responsibilities of the
parties, as required by law or authorized consistent with HIPAA, or pursuant to a third party's
written assurance agreeing to maintain the confidentiality of PHI.
4. Aggregate PHI in its possession with the PHI of another covered entity the Parties have in
their possession through business associate agreements, provided the purpose of the aggregation
is to provide either party with data analyses relating to health care operations as defined by
HIPAA.
5. De-identify all PHI provided the de-identification conforms to HIPAA's specifications
and the party conducting the de-identification maintains the documents in a manner required by
HIPAA.
IV. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARTIES:
1. The Parties may create, maintain, use and/or disclose PHI for purposes of public
health and regulatory functions including those listed in 45 CFR § 164.512.
2. The Parties may use and/or disclose PHI only as permitted herein or as authorized by the
law.
3. The Parties shall use reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical and physical
safeguards to:
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Ao
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Protect the integrity and confidentiality of the information;
Protect against any reasonably anticipated threats or hazards to the security or
integrity fo the information and unauthorized uses or discloses of it; and,
Establish and maintain compliance with HIPAA security and privacy
requirements on the part of the workforce members.
4. The Parties shall report to the other any use or disclosure of information not
provided for by the MOU or permitted by HIPAA of which it becomes aware.
5. The Parties shall require all of its subcontractors and agents that receive, use or have
access to, PHI under this MOU, to agree, in writing, to adhere to the same restrictions and
conditions on the use and/or disclosure of PHI that apply to the Parties.
6. The Parties shall make available protected health information in accordance with 45 CFR
§ 164.524, 526 and 528.
7. The Parties shall make available all internal practices, records, books, agreements,
policies and procedures relating to the use/and or disclosure of PHI created or received by a party
to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services for purposes of
determining either party's compliance with HIPAA, subject to any applicable legal privileges.
8. Upon prior written request, the Parties shall make available to the other any non-
privileged document relating to the use and/or disclosure of PHI to determine the Parties'
compliance with the terms of the MOU.
9. The Parties shall disclose to its subcontractors, agents or other third parties only the
minimum PHI necessary to perform or fulfill a specific function required hereunder.
10. When an individual makes a HIPAA-related request to either party for access to PHI,
amendment of PHI or accounting of PHI, the receiving party shall respond to the request,
consistent with applicable HIPAA requirements.
V. TERM AND TERMINATION OF MOU
1. The term of this MOU shall be effective as of April 14, 2003 and shall terminate in
accordance with the termination provisions of this Section. At the termination of any applicable
contract, if feasible, the appropriate party shall return or destroy all PHI received, created,
maintained or used pursuant to the MOU. If return or destruction is not feasible, the Parties shall
agree to extend the protections of the MOU to the information and limit its further uses and
disclosures.
A. Either party may terminate this Agreement upon thirty (30) days prior written
notice to the other, which notice shall specify the date of termination.
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B. Upon a party's actual knowledge of a material breach by the other of this MOU,
the discovering party shall either:
o
,
Provide an opportunity for the other to cure the breach or terminate the
MOU if the other does not cure the breach within the time specified by the
discovering party;
Immediately terminate this MOU if the other has breached a material term
and cure is not possible.
2. Any amendment to this MOU shall be in writing and signed by both Parties before it
is legally effective.
3. The respective fights and responsibilities of the Part~ under t3}e~OU shall survive its
Gino Grimalctl [ (Date)
Susan E. Slack (Date)
Jackson County Administrator City of Ashland Administrator
Approved as to form:
Beth A. Lori OSB #91164
Assistant County Counsel
Approved as to form:
ehuiNol~e - XOSB #69129
City of Ashland Attorney
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