Resources for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Aetna Endorses Markle Foundation Efforts to Ensure Privacy and Security of Consumers' Health Information Online

www.centredaily.com

Aetna (NYSE:AET) today announced its support of a newly released Common Framework for Networked Personal Health Information developed by Connecting for Health, a public-private collaboration operated by the Markle Foundation. The Connecting for Health Common Framework outlines how consumers' online health information is kept private, including guidelines for developing clear privacy policies, allowing consumers to control copies of their health data and preventing third parties from obtaining information without a consumer's authorization. The goal of the Common Framework is to increase consumers' use of online tools such as Personal Health Records (PHR) by creating a common set of privacy principles that consumers can trust.

"As a health plan, we have an opportunity to effect change in the health care system by helping people access their health information and provide the support needed to make wise health care decisions," said Meg McCabe, Aetna's vice president of medical and eHealth product. "We see a future where consumers are fully engaged in their health and take responsibility for health care decisions. To achieve that, we need to provide a secure environment where consumers can feel comfortable sharing their personal health information. As part of our efforts to create this environment of trust, Aetna participated on the Connecting for Health workgroup and is well along the path of implementing the Common Framework privacy principles. As a HIPAA-covered entity, consumer privacy and security protections are ingrained in our core values and business operations."

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