IMSA President Testifies Before U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Subcommittee
Union City, NJ, February 02, 2007 --(PR.com)-- On January 23rd, 2007, Eric Light, President of the International Medical Spa Association Board of Advisors testified before the Department of Health and Human Services Subcommittee on Privacy and Confidentiality. The subcommittee was charged by Secretary Michael Leavitt with developing recommendations regarding protection of personal health information.
The subcommittee has already heard testimony from the conventional medicine community and now wanted to determine how fee for service health care businesses might interface with the National Health Information System currently under development.
“Our industry is well aware that when you combine the word “medical” with “spa” the level of responsibility is great,” Mr. Light told the subcommittee. “Our clients expect the same kind of confidentiality they receive from a traditional medical practice. Where an aesthetic medicine facility is located in a hospital or existing medical practice that accepts insurance, the process is clear. Almost every facility extends HIPAA rules to their medical spa facility.”
Mr. Light went on to say that over half the aesthetic medicine facilities in the country are non-insurance based businesses and therefore not subject to HIPAA. “To insist that they conform to a National Health Information System with new records keeping and software requirements would put an unacceptable economic burden on aesthetic medicine business owners across the country.”
Mr. Light told the subcommittee that as they formulate their proposals, they must take into consideration the growing number of medical spas that focus upon anti-aging, lifestyle, and wellness medicine and their unique needs. “Many consumers have turned to these facilities because they have lost faith in conventional medicine.” They understand that providing information that supports conventional health care may be in their best interest medically. “Unfortunately, too many conventional health care providers still have a low regard for alternative therapies. Consequently, they do not readily share a patient’s treatment history with alternative practitioners.”
Mr. Light urged the subcommittee to consider ways to permit the easier flow of information from conventional heath care providers to those offering alternative therapies. “A person’s health information does not belong to a system or a practitioner. It is the patient’s property. Nothing should be allowed to impede a patient’s right to use that information as they see fit.”
Finally, Mr. Light pledged to the subcommittee that the International Medical Spa Association would work with facility owners, software manufacturers, and associations representing all facets of the spa industry to promote the need and find better ways to protect the confidentiality of a client’s records. “The International Medical Spa Association, as well as other industry associations, believes that self regulation will be more effective, more cost effective, and more readily implemented than any government mandate.”
The International Medical Spa Association (IMSA) was formed in 2002 under the leadership of Hannelore Leavy, Executive Director of the Day Spa Association. The IMSA membership includes naturopathic and osteopathic physicians; dentists, internists, dermatologists and plastic surgeons; physical and massage therapists; spa owners, spa consultants, medical spa facility designers, product manufacturers, and product suppliers. The International medical Spa Association is dedicated to the promotion of excellence, innovation, and cooperation within the medical spa industry, and serves as the definitive resource for information regarding the growing medical spa industry and provides networking and mentoring opportunities for its members. For more information, please contact them at 201.865.2065 or visit their website at www.medicalspaassociation.org
Contact: Eric Light 513-706-8208
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The subcommittee has already heard testimony from the conventional medicine community and now wanted to determine how fee for service health care businesses might interface with the National Health Information System currently under development.
“Our industry is well aware that when you combine the word “medical” with “spa” the level of responsibility is great,” Mr. Light told the subcommittee. “Our clients expect the same kind of confidentiality they receive from a traditional medical practice. Where an aesthetic medicine facility is located in a hospital or existing medical practice that accepts insurance, the process is clear. Almost every facility extends HIPAA rules to their medical spa facility.”
Mr. Light went on to say that over half the aesthetic medicine facilities in the country are non-insurance based businesses and therefore not subject to HIPAA. “To insist that they conform to a National Health Information System with new records keeping and software requirements would put an unacceptable economic burden on aesthetic medicine business owners across the country.”
Mr. Light told the subcommittee that as they formulate their proposals, they must take into consideration the growing number of medical spas that focus upon anti-aging, lifestyle, and wellness medicine and their unique needs. “Many consumers have turned to these facilities because they have lost faith in conventional medicine.” They understand that providing information that supports conventional health care may be in their best interest medically. “Unfortunately, too many conventional health care providers still have a low regard for alternative therapies. Consequently, they do not readily share a patient’s treatment history with alternative practitioners.”
Mr. Light urged the subcommittee to consider ways to permit the easier flow of information from conventional heath care providers to those offering alternative therapies. “A person’s health information does not belong to a system or a practitioner. It is the patient’s property. Nothing should be allowed to impede a patient’s right to use that information as they see fit.”
Finally, Mr. Light pledged to the subcommittee that the International Medical Spa Association would work with facility owners, software manufacturers, and associations representing all facets of the spa industry to promote the need and find better ways to protect the confidentiality of a client’s records. “The International Medical Spa Association, as well as other industry associations, believes that self regulation will be more effective, more cost effective, and more readily implemented than any government mandate.”
The International Medical Spa Association (IMSA) was formed in 2002 under the leadership of Hannelore Leavy, Executive Director of the Day Spa Association. The IMSA membership includes naturopathic and osteopathic physicians; dentists, internists, dermatologists and plastic surgeons; physical and massage therapists; spa owners, spa consultants, medical spa facility designers, product manufacturers, and product suppliers. The International medical Spa Association is dedicated to the promotion of excellence, innovation, and cooperation within the medical spa industry, and serves as the definitive resource for information regarding the growing medical spa industry and provides networking and mentoring opportunities for its members. For more information, please contact them at 201.865.2065 or visit their website at www.medicalspaassociation.org
Contact: Eric Light 513-706-8208
###
Contact
The International Medical Spa Association
Hannelore R. Leavy
201-865-2065
www.medicalspasassociation.org
Hannelore R. Leavy
201-865-2065
www.medicalspasassociation.org
Contact
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