The webinar will be hosted by Littler attorneys Angelo Spinola and Zoe Argento.  Compliance with HIPAA and the laws regulating text messages has become an increasingly key priority for home care companies.  With Medicare Advantage now covering a range of in-home care services for the first time, more and more agencies may be subject to HIPPA.  Simultaneously, the home care industry has rushed to adopt text messaging as a cheap and effective means of communication.  Although distinct areas, both HIPAA and text messaging are fraught with legal risk.

The webinar will provide a detailed overview of HIPAA, including, but not limited to, the scope of HIPAA, patient rights, restrictions on use and disclosure of PHI under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, required safeguards for PHI, HIPAA breach obligations, and enhanced HIPAA enforcement.  With regard to text messaging, the webinar will discuss how to comply with the strict, consent-based rules of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.  Zoe and Angelo will also cover how home care agencies can reduce risks related to wage-hour laws and device reimbursement laws when text messaging their employees.