Why SSC?: Compliance/HIPAA

SSC has developed a voluntary Compliance Program to demonstrate in the clearest possible terms the commitment of SSC to the highest ethical standards and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

• The intent of the Program is to prevent, detect and correct violations of the law, rules and policies
• Compliance is a key component for managing risk, improving operational efficiency and increasing the quality of services delivered by SSC
• SSC is proactive in all efforts to keep employees and clients informed about changes in federal and state billing policy and legislation

SSC has appointed a Corporate Compliance Officer to oversee our Program and advance the efforts of the entire staff. Compliance education is critical to the success of our Program. There is a mandatory session for new employees in addition to an annual education requirement for existing employees.

SSC's Compliance Program consists of:

• Training our staff on compliance issues
• Monitoring and auditing our coding and business practices regularly
• Enforcing the compliance plan
• Assessing risk and preventing incidents of noncompliance

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was designed to establish standards and requirements for electronic transmission and storage of healthcare information used by healthcare providers, health plans and business entities involved with healthcare. The intent of the legislation was to improve the portability and continuity of health benefits, to ensure greater accountability in the area of healthcare fraud, and to simplify the administration of health insurance. It also addresses the security and privacy of health data and set standards on how health information is to be protected in all formats.

SSC is committed to complying with the HIPAA regulations and meeting the HIPAA standards. Accordingly, SSC has recognized the importance and has addressed the following components of HIPAA:

1. Transaction and Code Set Standards: SSC uses these code set for all electronically exchanged transactions and data elements
2. Privacy Regulations: SSC has developed policies and procedures ensuring the protection, privacy, and confidentiality of health information
3. Security Standards: SSC has established safe guards to ensure that the strictest precautions have been taken to maintain health information when it is electronically stored, maintained, or transmitted
4. Unique National Identifier: SSC is actively working with our customers to secure Unique Nation Identifiers for all active entities and is on target to meet the implementation dates set forth for them