Data safety and security are critically important, especially in the healthcare sector. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law that protects sensitive patient health information (PHI) from disclosure without patient consent or knowledge.
HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable for all covered entities. These include healthcare providers, health plans, vendors, contractors, and healthcare clearinghouses. A business associate is a person or organization that provides services to a covered entity with access to personal health information (PHI). IT systems with the right tools and technology ensure steady and robust compliance, regardless of how compliance standards evolve.
The SureShield platform simplifies HIPAA compliance by automating technical controls and guiding you through operational controls. SureShield’s automation will reduce your overall HIPAA compliance cost by up to 70% when compared to traditional, labor-intensive compliance methods. For organizations requiring compliance to multiple frameworks, crosswalk automation drives cost savings up toward 90%.
Protect patients’ PHI while allowing the exchange of information to effectively coordinate patient care.
Include requirements to protect PHI confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Require breached entities to notify affected individuals, HHS, and, in some cases, the media.
HIPAA compliance is regulated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The OCR provides regular guidance on evolving issues and HIPAA investigations. HIPAA rules and regulations include three major components: HIPAA Privacy rules, Security rules, and Breach Notification rules. These notification rules protect the privacy and security of health information and gives individuals rights to their health information.
The Privacy Rule protects a patients’ PHI while allowing the exchange of information to coordinate patient care. It also gives patients the right to examine, get a copy of their medical records, and request corrections. The Security Rule includes security requirements to protect patients’ ePHI confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The Breach Notification Rule requires the entity to notify affected individuals, HHS, and, in some cases, the media. A breach is an unpermitted use or disclosure under the Privacy Rule that compromises the security or privacy of PHI.
HIPAA-compliant organizations secure and protect patient PHI; those that aren’t risk significant financial and reputational damage. However, healthcare or related organizations committed to ongoing HIPAA compliance not only benefit their patients, but also increase the likelihood of a breach-free, penalty-free future for themselves. The value of ongoing compliance is not just in avoiding penalties, but in building trust and ensuring patient safety.
Key Features of the updated guidance published in Special Publication (SP) 800-66r2 (Revision 2) include:
Activate HIPAA framework
Install scanner for compliance evidence gathering
Review baseline evidence to score compliance control status
Close compliance gaps
Ongoing compliance gap surveillance
Enforced maintenance of compliance readiness
Do you need help assessing your compliance readiness? Learn how our automated crosswalk technology will dramatically reduce your labor requirements. Schedule your free consulting session, up to 1 hour.
