GOOD MORNING DEAR RECRUITS...................

Pleasance and Your Colonel recently joined an HMO dental group. Their low
prices are what steered me. For instance, a number of routine services are
actually free each calendar year. You can't beat free. ^@^

Anywho, we were filling out the new patient forms, and I noticed it wanted a
social security number. "I don't go there," I said to the little
receptionist girl, a cute slender blonde. (Lacking my Pleasance, she woulda
been right up my alley.)

"Well, Mr. Burke, the problem is that without it I can't enter your
information into our computer. It requires a social security entry," she
said.

"I see. Well then, just enter all zeros or a bogus number," I replied.

She did--one or the other--and soon we met our new dentist.

Nuff said, with the exception of this: Stand Firm and Be Brave, just like
you did in Nam.

Opinions?

I agree

And you should bring a form with you anytime
you have to give out personal information.
The form says that you are giving confidential
Information and the recipient agrees to keep it
confidential and agrees to accept any liability
for accidental disclosure.

Have them sign and you keep a copy.
Every time we sign up for some BS there are
Tons of fine print we have to agree to.
Time to create some fine print of our own.

Mark

On Sat, 14 Mar 2015 13:40:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I agree

And you should bring a form with you anytime
you have to give out personal information.
The form says that you are giving confidential
Information and the recipient agrees to keep it
confidential and agrees to accept any liability
for accidental disclosure.

Have them sign and you keep a copy.
Every time we sign up for some BS there are
Tons of fine print we have to agree to.
Time to create some fine print of our own.

Mark
Good luck with that. Most people asking you for personal information
are employees of a comapny and NOT officers of that company. They
have no authority to accept any liability on the part of the company
without prior approval. They can commit themselves, but not the
company so you haven't gained much by having them sign your fine print
form.

On 3/14/2015 3:46 PM, Pat wrote:
On Sat, 14 Mar 2015 13:40:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I agree

And you should bring a form with you anytime
you have to give out personal information.
The form says that you are giving confidential
Information and the recipient agrees to keep it
confidential and agrees to accept any liability
for accidental disclosure.

Have them sign and you keep a copy.
Every time we sign up for some BS there are
Tons of fine print we have to agree to.
Time to create some fine print of our own.

Mark
Good luck with that. Most people asking you for personal information
are employees of a comapny and NOT officers of that company. They
have no authority to accept any liability on the part of the company
without prior approval. They can commit themselves, but not the
company so you haven't gained much by having them sign your fine print
form.


Interesting point made by Mark as well as by yourself.

Add in the legal concept of agency and we can start to have fun.
Employees of a corporation are, of course, employees. They are also
agents of that corporation and the more authority they have within the
corporation the more you can tie them up and leave them twisting in the
wind. A person with the status of a manager or even the cashier at the
local stop 'n rob is an agent and.... Principals are liable for the
torts of their agents. And their actions - arising out of the course of
their employment - create liabilities for those same principals which,
in the case of a corporation is the corporation.

Unless prohibited by law "Hey, applicant, are you married and planning
on having a kid?" they are free to ask you anything they want and,
similarly, you can tell them whatever you want or nothing.

Nancy Reagan had it right: Just say NO!

For some reason a big question being asked in the medical arena is, "Do
you have firearms in the home?" Correct answer is "That would be none
of your business!"

"Unquestionably Confused" wrote in message
...
On 3/14/2015 3:46 PM, Pat wrote:
On Sat, 14 Mar 2015 13:40:39 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

I agree

And you should bring a form with you anytime
you have to give out personal information.
The form says that you are giving confidential
Information and the recipient agrees to keep it
confidential and agrees to accept any liability
for accidental disclosure.

Have them sign and you keep a copy.
Every time we sign up for some BS there are
Tons of fine print we have to agree to.
Time to create some fine print of our own.

Mark
Good luck with that. Most people asking you for personal information
are employees of a comapny and NOT officers of that company. They
have no authority to accept any liability on the part of the company
without prior approval. They can commit themselves, but not the
company so you haven't gained much by having them sign your fine print
form.


Interesting point made by Mark as well as by yourself.

Add in the legal concept of agency and we can start to have fun. Employees
of a corporation are, of course, employees. They are also agents of that
corporation and the more authority they have within the corporation the
more you can tie them up and leave them twisting in the wind. A person
with the status of a manager or even the cashier at the local stop 'n rob
is an agent and.... Principals are liable for the torts of their agents.
And their actions - arising out of the course of their employment - create
liabilities for those same principals which, in the case of a corporation
is the corporation.

Unless prohibited by law "Hey, applicant, are you married and planning on
having a kid?" they are free to ask you anything they want and, similarly,
you can tell them whatever you want or nothing.

Nancy Reagan had it right: Just say NO!

For some reason a big question being asked in the medical arena is, "Do
you have firearms in the home?" Correct answer is "That would be none of
your business!"


I have firearms in Sunset Chateau, and I'll use the business end of it on
any coons who try to break in.

On 03/15/2015 05:56 AM, Col. Edmund Burke pulled his typing finger out of his nose and wrote:


I have firearms in Sunset Chateau, and I'll use the business end of it on any coons who try to break in.


People who brag about being badass gun owners tend to be short-peckered pussies.

I know a retired special forces guy that could grab your toy out of your hands, shove it
up your ass and have you screaming like a girl scout before you even had a chance to blink.
No gun required.

"Casper Milktoast" wrote in message
...
On 03/15/2015 05:56 AM, Col. Edmund Burke pulled his typing finger out of
his nose and wrote:


I have firearms in Sunset Chateau, and I'll use the business end of it on
any coons who try to break in.


People who brag about being badass gun owners tend to be short-peckered
pussies.

You know this because yer a dick sucker, little feller?

I know a retired special forces guy that could grab your toy out of your
hands, shove it
up your ass and have you screaming like a girl scout before you even had a
chance to blink.
No gun required.

Most of yer so-called badasses, like this imaginary friend of yers, are more
like sidewalk sissy boys who would've run away from me like frightened
schoolgirls back in Nam.
Big talkers like you need a sissy slap to set 'em straight.
LOL

On 3/14/2015 4:40 PM, wrote:
I agree

And you should bring a form with you anytime you have to give out
personal information. The form says that you are giving confidential
Information and the recipient agrees to keep it confidential and
agrees to accept any liability for accidental disclosure.

Have them sign and you keep a copy. Every time we sign up for some BS
there are Tons of fine print we have to agree to. Time to create
some fine print of our own.

Mark


SSN commonly used and needed by health care insurance companies,
including dental insurance. If you're uninsured and paying your own way
at the dentist, indeed that office has no need for your SSN. If you
plan to use dental insurance, you may find that your dentist will be
unable to file a claim without your SSN.

However, with respect to confidentiality, HIPAA pertains to dentists as
well as to physicians and hospitals. If a dental office gives out any of
your confidential information without your explicit consent, they are
violating a federal law. Therefore, your suggestion of a
confidentiality form is redundant and unnecessary.

On 3/15/2015 1:00 PM, wrote:


However, with respect to confidentiality, HIPAA pertains to dentists as
well as to physicians and hospitals. If a dental office gives out any of
your confidential information without your explicit consent, they are
violating a federal law. Therefore, your suggestion of a
confidentiality form is redundant and unnecessary.

The problem is not the dentist giving out your information. it is when
a less than scrupulous employee does it and you will not usually even
know where the leak came from if they turn it over to a 3d party.

Furthermore, you have to understand that HIPAA is a complaint based
system. The only time anyone looks for how it's complied with or even
IF it's being complied with is when there is a leak. So says my
son-in-law a DDS.

HIPPOS! WHO THE **** SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HIPPOS?

Or if they are hacked.
Mark

On 3/15/2015 9:38 PM, wrote:
Or if they are hacked.
Mark


That's just what I was referring to when I said "leak."

It's not with the DEA where they come in conduct an audit of the
pharmacy, etc. or monitor amounts of controlled substances dispensed by
a licensee.

On 3/14/2015 6:26 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:

For some reason a big question being asked in the medical arena is,
"Do you have firearms in the home?" Correct answer is "That would be
none of your business!"


They ask that for the same reason they ask if you smoke or drink:
because all three are health hazards. More pre-school kids are killed
by firearms than are cops, and obviously, the majority of those kids
are being killed by guns in their homes. So if the doc asks if you
have guns, and knows you have kids, s/he is going to remind you that
kids *will* get into everything.

On 3/15/2015 1:00 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 15 Mar 2015 12:14:58 -0400, Peter wrote:

On 3/14/2015 4:40 PM, wrote:
I agree

And you should bring a form with you anytime you have to give out
personal information. The form says that you are giving confidential
Information and the recipient agrees to keep it confidential and
agrees to accept any liability for accidental disclosure.

Have them sign and you keep a copy. Every time we sign up for some BS
there are Tons of fine print we have to agree to. Time to create
some fine print of our own.

Mark


SSN commonly used and needed by health care insurance companies,
including dental insurance. If you're uninsured and paying your own way
at the dentist, indeed that office has no need for your SSN. If you
plan to use dental insurance, you may find that your dentist will be
unable to file a claim without your SSN.

However, with respect to confidentiality, HIPAA pertains to dentists as
well as to physicians and hospitals. If a dental office gives out any of
your confidential information without your explicit consent, they are
violating a federal law. Therefore, your suggestion of a
confidentiality form is redundant and unnecessary.

The problem is not the dentist giving out your information. it is when
a less than scrupulous employee does it and you will not usually even
know where the leak came from if they turn it over to a 3d party.


That's against the law, there's a $250,000 penalty per incident, and
employees can be personally sued for violations as well as the doctor
or dentist they're working for.

Real medical professionals are professionally paranoid and well
trained about minimizing their liability. It's the quacks you have to
worry about. I had a woman bring me a computer to set up for her kids.
Turned out she was a receptionist for a chiropractic office, and the
quack-o-practor had given her one of their office pcs for her kids to
use. They should have pulled and destroyed the hard drive before
getting rid of the pc. They did not. I started the pc, noticed a
documents folder labeled "Patients", clicked it open and found it full
of medical files. I shut that sucker down asap. I phoned the lady and
informed her that she and her boss had a major HIPAA violation going
to the tune of $250K PER PATIENT FILE and they were going to dispose
of the hard drive properly or I was gonna have to blow the whistle.

On 3/16/2015 7:38 AM, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 3/14/2015 6:26 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:

For some reason a big question being asked in the medical arena is,
"Do you have firearms in the home?" Correct answer is "That would be
none of your business!"


They ask that for the same reason they ask if you smoke or drink:
because all three are health hazards. More pre-school kids are killed by
firearms than are cops, and obviously, the majority of those kids are
being killed by guns in their homes. So if the doc asks if you have
guns, and knows you have kids, s/he is going to remind you that kids
*will* get into everything.


If the question was coming only from pediatricians, I might buy that.
But it's not. Now that information is in your medical records and your
medical records under Affordable Care Act are...

Let's justify the medicos asking for your household income and
investment status as well. After all, if you have plenty of money,
isn't it rather more unlikely that he'll need to concern himself with
eventually treating you for scurvy or malnutrition?g

On 3/16/2015 7:51 AM, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 3/15/2015 1:00 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 15 Mar 2015 12:14:58 -0400, Peter wrote:

On 3/14/2015 4:40 PM, wrote:


That's against the law, there's a $250,000 penalty per incident, and
employees can be personally sued for violations as well as the doctor or
dentist they're working for.

Real medical professionals are professionally paranoid and well trained
about minimizing their liability. It's the quacks you have to worry
about. I had a woman bring me a computer to set up for her kids. Turned
out she was a receptionist for a chiropractic office, and the
quack-o-practor had given her one of their office pcs for her kids to
use. They should have pulled and destroyed the hard drive before getting
rid of the pc. They did not. I started the pc, noticed a documents
folder labeled "Patients", clicked it open and found it full of medical
files. I shut that sucker down asap. I phoned the lady and informed her
that she and her boss had a major HIPAA violation going to the tune of
$250K PER PATIENT FILE and they were going to dispose of the hard drive
properly or I was gonna have to blow the whistle.


Not to put too fine a point on it but... while there are penalties and
rather serious ones at that, the sky is NOT falling as you would claim,
Moe. Do a little research before throwing out YOUR figures or at least
wait until the government adopts YOUR figures.g

Civil Penalties:

1. Covered entity or individual did not know (and by exercising
reasonable diligence would not have known) the act was a HIPAA violation.

$100-$50,000 for each violation, up to a maximum of $1.5 million for
identical provisions during a calendar year


2. The HIPAA violation had a reasonable cause and was not due to willful
neglect.

$1,000-$50,000 for each violation, up to a maximum of $1.5 million for
identical provisions during a calendar year


3. The HIPAA violation was due to willful neglect but the violation was
corrected within the required time period.

$10,000-$50,000 for each violation, up to a maximum of $1.5 million for
identical provisions during a calendar year


4. The HIPAA violation was due to willful neglect and was not corrected.

$50,000 or more for each violation, up to a maximum of $1.5 million for
identical provisions during a calendar year

In article ,
Unquestionably Confused wrote:



Civil Penalties:

1. Covered entity or individual did not know (and by exercising
reasonable diligence would not have known) the act was a HIPAA violation.

You serious? The individual (the secretary) may not have known, and
if so that might in and of itself might be a violation. There are
stringent regulations holding the entity responsible for developing
policies and procedures for handling the information and developing
training programs on those policies and procedures. The entity (the
practice) would have known unless they have been in a coma for the last
10 years or so. Violations (and heavy fines) have been levied for
similar situations that would have been made worse by the fact the file
with patient identifiers wasn't encrypted (that alone would get you
nailed if the computer fell into the "wrong" hands.



2. The HIPAA violation had a reasonable cause and was not due to willful
neglect.
Lack of encryption has been established as being at least prima
facie evidence of willful neglect as has lack of policies/procedures
governing disposal of computers containing personalized data,
--
³Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive,
but what they conceal is vital.²
‹ Aaron Levenstein

On 3/16/2015 8:18 AM, Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article ,
Unquestionably Confused wrote:



Civil Penalties:

1. Covered entity or individual did not know (and by exercising
reasonable diligence would not have known) the act was a HIPAA violation.

You serious? The individual (the secretary) may not have known, and
if so that might in and of itself might be a violation. There are
stringent regulations holding the entity responsible for developing
policies and procedures for handling the information and developing
training programs on those policies and procedures. The entity (the
practice) would have known unless they have been in a coma for the last
10 years or so. Violations (and heavy fines) have been levied for
similar situations that would have been made worse by the fact the file
with patient identifiers wasn't encrypted (that alone would get you
nailed if the computer fell into the "wrong" hands.



2. The HIPAA violation had a reasonable cause and was not due to willful
neglect.
Lack of encryption has been established as being at least prima
facie evidence of willful neglect as has lack of policies/procedures
governing disposal of computers containing personalized data,



It would seem that you are a master at taking things out of context and
shooting the messenger. Those are the governments penalties, not
mine... as well as their classification system.

My point was simply that there is no automatic $250,000 fine per
violation as stated in a prior post by Moe.

It will be interesting to see what fines, if any, are levied when the US
Government or one of their vaunted employees screw the pooch and
improperly disseminate HIPAA protected information.

On 3/16/2015 8:38 AM, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
They ask that for the same reason they ask if you smoke or drink:
because all three are health hazards. More pre-school kids are killed by
firearms than are cops, and obviously, the majority of those kids are
being killed by guns in their homes. So if the doc asks if you have
guns, and knows you have kids, s/he is going to remind you that kids
*will* get into everything.


Not sure what demographic you mean. I'm over 50,
and can't say as I remember ever knowing personally
of any kid who was ever shot by a home owned gun.

My uncle Edward, in ohio, (who was very depressed
and mentally unstable) did commit suicide by gun.
But, that's hardly the demographic of healthy and
happy kids in a home with a responsible gun owner.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

On 3/16/2015 8:54 AM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
For some reason a big question being asked in the medical arena is,
"Do you have firearms in the home?" Correct answer is "That would be
none of your business!"

If the question was coming only from pediatricians, I might buy that.
But it's not. Now that information is in your medical records and your
medical records under Affordable Care Act are...

Let's justify the medicos asking for your household income and
investment status as well. After all, if you have plenty of money,
isn't it rather more unlikely that he'll need to concern himself with
eventually treating you for scurvy or malnutrition?g



The big issue is who is asking, and why. I can
imagine people thinking that big brother is asking,
for future registration and confiscation of personal
owned weapons of any sort.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

In article ,
Unquestionably Confused wrote:


It would seem that you are a master at taking things out of context and
shooting the messenger. Those are the governments penalties, not
mine... as well as their classification system.
Sorry, there wasn't any indicator (at first glance anyway) that
these were from the government and that you weren't arguing that there
was no violation here because of these. Mea culpa, although I do claim
extenuating circumstances here such as it is hard to keep things in
context when context is lacking.


It will be interesting to see what fines, if any, are levied when the US
Government or one of their vaunted employees screw the pooch and
improperly disseminate HIPAA protected information.

Health and Human Services says that while it can investigate privacy
infractions for the VA, it has no enforcement authority. I could find
nothing about investigation of infractions at HHS-in house organizations
such as the NIH hospitals or Medicare. The applicability of HIPAA to the
hospitals of the military is also a bit unclear from what I can find. I
am sure this surprises you down to your toes. (grin).
--
³Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive,
but what they conceal is vital.²
‹ Aaron Levenstein