Comply with the standards and implementation specifications of the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules to secure your business

In 2022 alone, Healthcare companies would have paid over 2 million $ in penalties following HIPAA non-compliance.

HIPAA and Compliance are very common in the healthcare industry. HIPAA known as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is all about protecting patient privacy. This government act was created to keep patient data safe. It also ensures that businesses were protected against powerful lawsuits that can destroy their operations.

The HIPAA applies to healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses that conduct transactions electronically (referred to as covered entities). It is also applicable to business associates, subcontractors, researchers and hybrid entities that perform functions on behalf of HIPAA-covered entities that give them access to protected health information (PHI).

For more details refer to Introduction to HIPAA Compliance

Ignoring HIPAA regulations can be very expensive not only in terms of finances. Illume Intelligence India Pvt. Ltd. helps to ensure the organisation is always on the right side of the law. Streamlining the entire compliance journey by breaking all the HIPAA requirements into simple easy-to-understand steps making it easy to understand and implement

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HIPAA Compliance

 

With digitisation, all organisations are moving towards computerised operations. This includes computerised physician order entry (CPOE) systems, electronic health records (EHR), radiology, pharmacy,  laboratory systems and more. With the increased efficiency and mobility, the security risk has also increased making HIPAA compliance more important.  

 

There are physical and technical safeguards mentioned by the relevant authorities that must be followed by the entities hosting sensitive patient data. Some of these are

1. Limited facility access and control with authorised access in place.

2. Policies about the use and access to workstations and electronic media.

3. Restrictions for transferring, removing, disposing, and re-using electronic media and ePHI.

4. Using unique user IDs.

5. Emergency access procedures.

6. Automatic log off.

7. Encryption and decryption.

8. Audit reports or tracking logs that record activity on hardware and software.

and more

 

It is universally understood that data is exposed only through the people in a way that is negligence, malicious intent, or outside attack and hence effective compliance focus on people.

 

 

The Seven Elements of Effective Compliance

 

There are seven elements created for the effectiveness of the compliance program. These are the absolute minimum requirements that the effective compliance program must address.

1. Implementing written policies, procedures, and standards of conduct.

2. Designating a compliance officer and compliance committee.

3. Conducting effective training and education.

4. Developing effective lines of communication.

5. Conducting internal monitoring and auditing.

6. Enforcing standards through well-publicised disciplinary guidelines.

7. Responding promptly to detected offences and undertaking corrective action.

 

The organisation's compliance program is tested against these seven elements to judge its effectiveness.

 

 

What is HIPAA Violation?

 

A HIPAA violation is any breach in an organisation's compliance program that compromises the integrity of PHI or ePHI. It is different from a data breach. All data breaches are not HIPAA violations until it results from an ineffective, incomplete, or outdated HIPAA compliance program or a direct violation of an organization’s HIPAA policies.

 

Some common causes of HIPAA violations and fines are

* Stolen laptop

* Stolen phone

* Stolen USB device

* Malware incident

* Ransomware attack

* Hacking

* Business associate breach

* EHR breach

* Office break-in

* Sending PHI to the wrong patient/contact

* Discussing PHI outside of the office

* Social media posts

 

These HIPAA violations commonly fall into several categories:

*Use and disclosure

* Improper security safeguards

* The Minimum Necessary Rule

* Access controls

* Notice of Privacy Practices

Why HIPAA Compliance is important?

Protection against PHI loss

HIPAA acts as physical protection against PHI-related lawsuits on proper implementation.

Increased Awareness

Offers proper handling of patient information with the proper understanding and training

Patient Safety First

HIPAA helps in securing all the data and putting the patient's interests at the fore

Compliance Ready

Avoid hefty penalties that may cause due to data breaches in the cases of non-compliance

Ensures Cybersecurity

Becoming Complaint builds a comprehensive cybersecurity program for the organisation

Customer Trust

Clients and stakeholders are confident that sensitive data is seriously protected

Profitability

Better customer retention leads to recurring revenue increases, making a business profitable

Differentiation

Easy differentiation of the business from the competitors leads to a strong image in the market

What Illume offers?
  • 1. Illume Intelligence India Pvt. Ltd. coordinates with the internal team to understand the business processes and the environment to consolidate the scope.
    2. We access the organisation's requirements to identify areas that need to be addressed.
    3. Identification of critical information assets and accordingly classify them for creating a separate asset inventory.
    4. Conduct a comprehensive risk assessment for identifying weak areas and loopholes that could impact the business-critical assets.
    5. Our experts categorize the risks and help in strategising the appropriate Risk Treatment measures.
    6. Assessing the application for conformation to HIPAA requirements such as Data Portability, User Consent, Effective UI design, etc.
    7. Documentation support by building and rolling out effective policies and procedures
    8. Conducting a Pre-assessment of the setup and ensuring all measures are implemented.
    9. Issuing a legally admissible "HIPAA Compliance" Certificate for your organization on conforming to all the controls.

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FAQs
HIPAA compliance consulting involves specialised services provided by consultants or consulting firms to assist healthcare organisations in understanding and adhering to the requirements of the HIPAA regulations. Healthcare entities need consulting services to ensure they handle protected health information (PHI) securely and comply with the complex HIPAA rules to avoid penalties and protect patient privacy.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards for protecting individuals' medical records and other PHI. It sets limits on how healthcare providers and covered entities can use and disclose PHI, giving individuals more control over their health information.
The HIPAA Security Rule establishes security standards for protecting electronic PHI (ePHI). It requires covered entities to implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI.
Non-compliance with HIPAA can result in severe penalties, ranging from fines to criminal charges, depending on the nature and extent of the violation. Civil penalties can be substantial, and in some cases, individuals may face imprisonment for willful violations.
HIPAA compliance consulting services can provide several benefits, such as -
1. Conducting comprehensive risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and develop mitigation strategies.
2. Developing and implementing HIPAA-compliant policies, procedures, and employee training programs.
3. Assisting with the design and implementation of secure data management and storage systems.
4. Conducting audits and ongoing monitoring to ensure continuous compliance.
5. Offering guidance on breach notification procedures and response plans.
Yes, many HIPAA compliance consulting services can be provided remotely through online communication and collaboration tools. Remote consulting enables healthcare organisations to access expertise without the need for physical presence.
HIPAA compliance consulting services are relevant for healthcare organisations of all sizes, including small practices and business associates. All organisations handling PHI data must comply with HIPAA, regardless of their size.
The time required for achieving HIPAA compliance depends on the organisation's current state of compliance, the complexity of its data systems, and the scope of the consulting services. It may take several months to implement the necessary changes and ensure full compliance.
No, it is not specified in the Security Rule for the covered entity to “certify” compliance.However, the Security Rule evaluation standard does require covered entities to perform a periodic technical and non-technical evaluation to test whether the organisation’s security policies and procedures meet security requirements. These evaluations can be conducted internally or externally.