HIPAA is a federal law that protects the privacy of your personal health information. At the same time, it allows health care providers and certain related operations enough access to the information they need to do their jobs effectively. HIPAA includes several rules and provisions that set guidelines and requirements for the administration and enforcement of HIPAA.
The relevant ones for the implementation of health information technology and the exchange of protected health information in an electronic environment are the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule, as well as the HITECH Act which further enforced the two in 2009.
*State laws may have more stringent requirements than federal laws, however, in cases of conflict, federal
law supersedes state law.
Not all operations that handle health-related information must follow HIPAA law (such as many schools, state agencies, law enforcement agencies, or municipal offices). Under HIPAA the 2 groups that must follow HIPAA rules are
Doctors By Video, LLC would be considered the business associate of a covered entity that uses Doctors By Video, LLC to communicating private health information with a client.
It depends. If a vendor or subcontractor transmits, maintains, or has routine access to protected health information (PHI) when providing its services to a covered entity then it is considered a business associate. For example, a vendor that hosts the software containing patient information on its own server or accesses patient information when troubleshooting the software, then it is considered a business associate and must have a business associate agreement with the covered entity as specified under the HIPAA Privacy Rule 45 C.F.R. § 164.504(e).
The only exception under HITECH section 13408 is in the case of a data transmission organization that acts as a conduit, in that it only transports information but does not access it, such as the US Postal Service or its electronic equivalent — Internet Service Providers (ISPs), a telecommunication company, etc.
While these may have access to PHI, they only access PHI on a random or infrequent basis as necessary for the performance of the transportation service or as required by law: “[D]ata transmission organizations that do not require access to protected health information on a routine basis would not be treated as business associates” (p. 22)
While Doctors By Video, LLC never has access to any information, health or otherwise, that you may observe, transmit, or receive by using Doctors By Video, LLC, it is still considered a business associate because it is used to transmit private health information over the Internet. To be HIPAA-compliant, a covered entity using Doctors By Video, LLC for this purpose must have a Business Associate agreement with Doctors By Video, LLC.
U.S. Department of Health on Software Vendors
Videoconferencing may involve the electronic exchange of health information which is protected under HIPAA law. Security considerations with video conferencing may involve making sure unauthorized third parties cannot record or “listen in” on a video conferencing session, making sure recorded video conferencing sessions are stored and identified in a secure and proper manner, or having a procedure for initiating and receiving video calls. Other video collaboration features affecting security may include text chat, screen-sharing, and file transfer.
Videoconferencing would only be one small piece to consider when establishing and maintaining HIPAA-compliant IT security standards as described by the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule.
Doctors By Video, LLC has several characteristics that make it easy to protect the confidentiality of protected health information:
Doctors By Video, LLC uses a managed peer-to-peer architecture, where video (and other media) are streamed directly from endpoint to endpoint. Information is never stored on any Doctors By Video, LLC servers or intercepted by Doctors By Video, LLC in any way. The Doctors By Video, LLC management server is only used for address lookup, connection brokering, and system/user administration. This prevents information leakage between point A and point B.
Encryption adds another layer of security for our services. All Doctors By Video, LLC traffic is encrypted with FIPS 140-2 certified 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard. Non of our servers have access to the decryption keys. This keeps your videoconference absolutely confidential.
Doctors By Video, LLC will soon allows users to record video conferences and keep chat history that could be regarded as electronic protected health information (e-PHI). These files are stored on a user’s computer and are not accessible to Doctors By Video, LLC. Covered entities may securely save recorded conferences or chat histories to their own HIPAA compliant electronic health record (EHR) system.
Certification of health technology is regulated under the HITECH Act by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) in collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). HIPAA rules do “not assume the task of certifying software and off-the-shelf products” (p. 8352 of the Final Security Rule) neither do they set criteria for or accredit independent agencies that do HIPAA certifications.
In short, this means that the third-party HIPAA certification groups you may use are not regulated by any federal accreditation agency.
Currently, HITECH only provides for the testing and certification of Electronic Health Records (EHR) programs and modules. The certification is generally used to qualify health operations for Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
Doctors By Video, LLCis not an EHR software or module.
Doctors By Video, LLC signs HIPAA Business Associate Agreements with our clients.
U.S. Department of Health on Business Associate Agreements
The Security Rule does not require encryption if an entity can prove it is not reasonable or appropriate to do so. However, it is a good idea to encrypt data whenever possible because in the case that there is a data breach, proper encryption exempts HIPAA-covered entities from the Breach Rule (section 13402 of the HITECH Act), which requires notification of PHI that has not been secured (i.e. encrypted) according to the security guidance publication (74 FR 19006 on April 27, 2009):“While covered entities and business associates are not required to follow the guidance, the specified technologies and methodologies, if used, create the functional equivalent of a safe harbor, and thus, result in covered entities and business associates not being required to provide the notification otherwise required by section 13402 in the event of a breach.” (p. 19008)
Encryption processes that have been tested and meet the guidance standard:(i) “Valid encryption processes for data at rest are consistent with NIST Special Publication 800–111, Guide to Storage Encryption Technologies for End User Devices.” (p. 19009-10)(ii) “Valid encryption processes for data in motion are those that comply with the requirements of Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140–2. These include, as appropriate, standards described in NIST Special Publications 800–52, Guidelines for the Selection and Use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) Implementations; 800–77, Guide to IPsec VPNs; or 800–113, Guide to SSL VPNs, and may include others which are FIPS 140–2 validated.” (p. 19009-10)
Doctors By Video, LLC does not store any of your data. All Doctors By Video, LLC traffic is encrypted with FIPS 140-2 compliant 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard.
HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, Public Law 104-191, the complete suite of HIPAA Administrative Simplification Regulations can be found at 45 C.F.R.Part 160, Part 162, and Part 164
The Privacy Rule – “Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information” and is found at 45 CFR Part 160 and Subparts A and E of Part 164.
The Security Rule – “Security Standards for the Protection of Electronic Protected Health Information” and is found at 45 CFR Part 160 and Subparts A and C of Part 164.
Modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification Rules – 45 C.F.R. Parts 160 and 164
*ATTRIBUTES: VSEE.com | The US Department of Health & Human Services | © 2020 Doctors By Video LLC.
Welcome to https://www.addameeting.com (the “Site”). We respect the intellectual property rights of others just as we expect others to respect our rights. Pursuant to Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Title 17, United States Code, Section 512(c), a copyright owner or their agent may submit a takedown notice to us via our DMCA Agent listed below. As an internet service provider, we are entitled to claim immunity from said infringement claims pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the DMCA. To submit a good faith infringement claim to us, you must submit the notice to us that sets forth the following information:
Notice of Infringement – Claim
Title 17 USC §512(f) provides civil damage penalties, including costs and attorney fees, against any person who knowingly and materially misrepresents certain information in a notification of infringement under 17 USC §512(c)(3).
Send all takedown notices through our Contact page. Please send by email for prompt attention.
Please note that we may share the identity and information in any copyright infringement claim we receive with the alleged infringer. In submitting a claim, you understand accept and agree that your identity and claim may be communicated to the alleged infringer.
Counter Notification – Restoration of Material
If you have received a notice of material being takedown because of a copyright infringement claim, you may provide us with a counter notification in an effort to have the material in question restored to the site. Said notification must be given in writing to our DMCA Agent and must contain substantially the following elements pursuant to 17 USC Section 512(g)(3):
Repeat Infringer Policy
We take copyright infringement very seriously. Pursuant to the repeat infringer policy requirements of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we maintain a list of DMCA notices from copyright holders and make a good faith effort to identify any repeat infringers. Those that violate our internal repeat infringer policy will have their accounts terminated.
Modifications
We reserve the right to modify the contents of this page and its policy for handling DMCA claims at any time for any reason. You are encouraged to check back to review this policy frequently for any changes.
Doctors By Video, LLC. / https://www.telehealthy.us / https://addameeting.com
Indicates the natural person(s) or legal entity that provides this Website to Users.
Indicates any natural person or legal entity using this Website.
This Privacy Notice for California Residents supplements the information contained in the Website’s Privacy Policy and applies solely to all visitors, users, and others who reside in the State of California. We adopted this notice to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA) and any terms defined in the CCPA have the same meaning when used in this notice.
The Website collects information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or device (“personal information”).
In particular, Website has collected the following categories of personal information from its consumers within the last 12 months:
Category | Examples | Collected |
---|---|---|
A. Identifiers. | A real name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, email address, account name, Social Security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers. | YES |
B. Personal information categories listed in the California Customer Records statute (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80(e)). | A name, signature, Social Security number, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver’s license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, or any other financial information, medical information, or health insurance information. | YES |
C. Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law. | Age (40 years or older), race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, religion or creed, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy or childbirth and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, veteran or military status, genetic information (including familial genetic information). | YES |
D. Commercial information. | Records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies. | YES |
E. Biometric information. | Genetic, physiological, behavioral, and biological characteristics, or activity patterns used to extract a template or other identifier or identifying information, such as fingerprints, faceprints, and voiceprints, iris or retina scans, keystroke, gait, or other physical patterns, and sleep, health, or exercise data. | YES |
F. Internet or other similar network activity. | Browsing history, search history, information on a consumer’s interaction with a Website, application, or advertisement. | YES |
G. Geolocation data. | Physical location or movements. | YES |
H. Sensory data. | Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information. | YES |
I. Professional or employment-related information. | Current or past job history or performance evaluations. | YES |
J. Non-public education information (per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g, 34 C.F.R. Part 99)). | Education records directly related to a student maintained by an educational institution or party acting on its behalf, such as grades, transcripts, class lists, student schedules, student identification codes, student financial information, or student disciplinary records. | YES |
K. Inferences drawn from other personal information. | Profile reflecting a person’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes. | YES |
Personal information does not include:
We obtain the categories of personal information listed above from the following categories of sources:
We may use or disclose the personal information we collect for one or more of the following business purposes:
We will not collect additional categories of personal information or use the personal information we collect for materially different, unrelated, or incompatible purposes without providing you notice.
We may disclose your personal information to a third party for a business purpose. When we disclose personal information for a business purpose, we enter a contract that describes the purpose and requires the recipient to both keep that personal information confidential and not use it for any purpose except performing the contract.
We share your personal information with the following categories of third parties:
The CCPA provides consumers (California residents) with specific rights regarding their personal information. This section describes your CCPA rights and explains how to exercise those rights.
You have the right to request that we disclose certain information to you about our collection and use of your personal information over the past 12 months. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request (see Exercising Access, Data Portability, and Deletion Rights), we will disclose to you:
You have the right to request that we delete any of your personal information that we collected from you and retained, subject to certain exceptions. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request (see Exercising Access, Data Portability, and Deletion Rights), we will delete (and direct our service providers to delete) your personal information from our records, unless an exception applies.
We may deny your deletion request if retaining the information is necessary for us or our service provider(s) to:
To exercise the access, data portability, and deletion rights described above, please submit a verifiable consumer request to us by either:
Only you, or a person registered with the California Secretary of State that you authorize to act on your behalf, may make a verifiable consumer request related to your personal information. You may also make a verifiable consumer request on behalf of your minor child.
You may only make a verifiable consumer request for access or data portability twice within a 12-month period. The verifiable consumer request must:
We cannot respond to your request or provide you with personal information if we cannot verify your identity or authority to make the request and confirm the personal information relates to you.
Making a verifiable consumer request does not require you to create an account with us.
We will only use personal information provided in a verifiable consumer request to verify the requestor’s identity or authority to make the request.
We endeavor to respond to a verifiable consumer request within forty-five (45) days of its receipt. If we require more time, we will inform you of the reason and extension period in writing.
We will deliver our written response by mail or electronically, at your option.
Any disclosures we provide will only cover the 12-month period preceding the verifiable consumer request’s receipt. The response we provide will also explain the reasons we cannot comply with a request, if applicable. For data portability requests, we will select a format to provide your personal information that is readily useable and should allow you to transmit the information from one entity to another entity without hindrance.
We do not charge a fee to process or respond to your verifiable consumer request unless it is excessive, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded. If we determine that the request warrants a fee, we will tell you why we made that decision and provide you with a cost estimate before completing your request.
We will not sell your personal information to any party. If in the future, we anticipate selling your personal information to any party, we will provide you with the opt-out and opt-in rights required by the CCPA.
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. Unless permitted by the CCPA, we will not:
California’s “Shine the Light” law (Civil Code Section § 1798.83) permits users of our Website that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an email to [email protected].
We reserve the right to amend this privacy notice at our discretion and at any time. When we make changes to this privacy notice, we will post the updated notice on our Website and update the notice’s effective date. Your continued use of our Website following the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of such changes.
If you have any questions or comments about this notice, the ways in which we collect and use your information described below and in our Privacy Policy, your choices and rights regarding such use, or wish to exercise your rights under California law, please do not hesitate to contact us at:
Text & Phone: 443.371.3181
Email: [email protected]
Business Hours: Always Open
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