HHS releases New HIPAA FAQ

On November 8, 2005, the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a fact sheet pertaining to the sharing of personally identifiable health information between state Medicaid agencies. The fact sheet is available by visiting http://healthprivacy.answers.hhs.gov/ or read the ARMA International Washington Policy Brief at www.arma.org

AIIM Study Reports Strong Growth Among Document Management Service Providers

AIIM, the Enterprise Content Management Association, recently announced results from its annual “State of Industry” survey of Document Management Service Providers. Document Management Service Providers report strong sector growth during the past year, in four significant categories, metrics revenue, employee count, customer base, and profitability. The survey reflects the renewed optimism that exists within “the document channel” as end users, especially in the mid-market, increasingly turn to partners with domain expertise to guide them through new technology in document management. For key survey findings, visit www.aiim.org.

Small Businesses Seek Different SOX Rules

According to a recent survey, almost half of small companies say that the Sarbanes Oxley ACT (SOX) has made it more difficult for them to conduct business.

The study, commissioned by financial and business management solution provider SAP America Inc., reveals that more than two-thirds of all small businesses favor different sets of compliance standards for small and large companies, while others are outsourcing and cutting back in areas such as marketing, research and personnel to meet compliance demands.

In addition, many businesses are now dedicating extensive resources to meeting SOX deadlines. For example, spending on Section 404 of SOX alone increased in the first half of 2004 by 62% to $3.14 million per company, according to Financial Executives International.

In September 2005, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a one-year compliance extension to small companies with less than $75 million in public shares, giving them until 2007 to become fully compliant with SOX corporate governance regulations. Read the ARMA International Washington Policy Brief, December 2005 at www.arma.org