I have yet to attend a seminar or fully learn the ins and outs of HIPAA. Can anyone fill me in on a source for learning that is an easily understood.

I am a generalist and handle any and all HR functions. What do you see is the biggest obstacle for me? I have learned we cannot get involved with claim issues, and the like. What are the biggest pointers I need to learn about. This will help me choose a better seminar as well. Thank you all.

It's difficult to respond to your question because each facet of HIPAA has a variety of implications based upon your plan type(s) and the type of work that you do.

However, there is no shortage of consultants that specialize in HIPAA to the nth degree. Finding a few that cater to your specific function and plan type should be relatively easy. If you're looking for a high-level synopsis, the web is your best bet - so long as you reference credible sources.

The biggest obstacle, in my opinion, is actually tracking the flow of information in your company currently. Most HR directors believe they understand who uses or needs particular information, but when a detailed review is done, they are almost always surprised at the results.

Tailoring a survey or other tool to get all of this information from all aspects of your operation is the first difficulty.

I agree with Steve about the internal tracking. When I used to work for a large, well-knowned carrier, one of my colleagues accidentally had access to the eligibility system. Needless to say there was tons of information that he shouldn't have been looking at but was doing so for kicks. With today's regulations, that could be a very big problem.