As you are well aware, compliance and HIPAA are high profile concerns of successful BGAs and their down lines.  We have put together a couple of related items for your consideration - take the time to review the content, and please forward to others in your agency who may benefit from the information... Education: We found a good course that covers HIPAA thoroughly.  Here's a blurb you can use as a template - modify it as you see fit to let your down line know the course is available and recommended: HIPAA Training – Privacy And Security For Business Associates / With recent changes to HIPAA laws now in effect, we highly recommend you consider a refresher course on the regulations.  The audio course is simple, easy to navigate, and takes just over an hour to complete.  During the course there are periodic exams, with a final assessment at the end - it's a quick way to get up to speed on HIPAA regulations, and learn what it takes to remain/be in compliance. Learn More Here Among the items covered during the course are:

• What is HIPAA
• What is a Business Associate Agreement and what does it require
• What is and is not considered Protected Health Information
• When is an authorization required and not required
• What is the law  - civil and criminal penalties

Technology: PaperClip has released a new, cloud-based email encryption program called Agent4. Agent4 allows you to send your clients' private information in a secure email environment as well as stay compliant with HIPAA and FINRA regulations. Unlike other solutions such as Sharefile, Agent4 encrypts the text in the body of an email and the attachments.  Agent4 has an annual fee of $75 per email account - Broadtower has secured a 15% discount for the first year. See Details Here Sign up below and enter BROADTO2014 in the coupon code field. Sign Up For Agent4 Here Related Language For Use As You See Fit: HIPAA compliance looks differently and varies from producer to producer depending on whether they conduct business in paper-only, electronically or some combination of the two. Each business associate must individually assess their own office environment and how they conduct business. In every case, a business associate will need to be able to provide evidence that they have implemented and maintained appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards that protect the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of applicant and customer information and prevent prohibited uses or disclosures of that information. These responsibilities extend to applicant or customer information that the business associate creates, receives, stores or transmits either electronically or in a paper format. We at Broadtower thank you for your efforts related to compliance and the protection of your clients' personal data.