Administrative Memos

200306

FROM: Theodore O. Will, Chief Executive Officer
DATE: Apr 04, 2003
SUBJECT: Release of Protected Health Information to QIOs
IPRO CONTACTS:

Tierre Jeanné, Vice President, Planning & Quality, Ext 581

Enclosed please find a Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) letter addressing the release of protected health information to Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOS) for the Medicare program. Please note that providers may disclose protected health information (PHI) required by statute or regulation to QIOS. It is our understanding that for non-Medicare QIO review activities, CMS is in the process of issuing a memorandum clarifying providers' obligations regarding disclosure.

In addition, IPRO has already entered into a business associate agreement with the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) that applies to IPRO's contracts with the NYS DOH, including all Medicaid review activities.

Accordingly, release of information to IPRO does not require prior authorization by the patient nor a business associate agreement. Therefore, IPRO does not intend to have a business associate agreement with your organization for the above referenced activities.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Tierre Jeanné, Vice President, Planning & Quality at 516-326-7767 (Ext. 581) or Glenn Hirsch, Privacy Officer (Ext. 432).