Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) policies and procedures implement our obligations to protect the privacy of individually identifiable health information that we create, receive, or maintain. We implement these Health Information Privacy Policies and Procedures as a matter of sound business practice; to protect the interests of our employees, and to fulfill our legal obligations under the 
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
University HIPAA Policy
It is the policy of the University of the Pacific that an individual’s identifiable health information may only be used within the University or disclosed to entities outside the University after notification to and/or with the expressed permission of the employee, except in cases of emergency or where specifically permitted or required by law. The University of the Pacific HIPAA policy:
- Require notice of privacy practices acknowledgement by every individual.
- Restrict permissible disclosed information to the minimum necessary.
- Obtain consent from individual before sharing information with a party not identified in notice (use of consent form)
- All individuals must exercise reasonable precautions to prevent unintended disclosure or PHI (Protected Health Information - A person’s name, address, birth date, age, social security #, employee ID #, phone and fax number, and e-mail address. Medical records, diagnosis, x-rays, photos, prescriptions, lab work and test results. Billing records, claim data, referral authorizations, explanation of benefits. Research records. Employee benefit enrollment information.).
- Post notice of privacy practices in visible locations.
- Provide individuals’ access to any PHI we hold.
- Accept and consider requests for amendments to their own PHI.
- Provide a mechanism by which individuals may file complaints regarding inappropriate disclosure of PHI (complaint form).
- Accept requests for alternative means of communications or alternative locations and accommodate requests when reasonable and in writing.
- Inform individuals of decisions to accommodate or deny requests.
- Provide training to staff, faculty, students and residents having access to medical information.
- Each new member will receive training within a reasonable time period.
