It is likely that we can all recall a moment when we “knew about” something before anyone else. A band, a trend, a fad. Then it goes mainstream and you realize the word is out, and when a big name gets on board with promoting the person, place or cause, you find yourself part of the many, not the few.
Well recently MasterCard – yes, THAT same company who you have in your wallet – announced initiatives to combat cybersecurity threats in the healthcare sector. To those of us in the technology field with HIPAA awareness, we wonder what took them so long. To those who haven’t been heeding our warnings for years, are you ready to pay attention now?
Hackers aren’t going away. In fact, they are becoming cleverer and more sophisticated in their attack methods, and healthcare is a bounty whether the hack is big or small.
So, how will MasterCard move forward with these plans? By offering products that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help curtail fraud and abuse. This will lead to predictive analytical data that can assist and enable providers in creating more effective strategies for revenue and billing. According to Marie Aloisi, a VP at MasterCard, the method of using clipboard and paper is not only “archaic” but also lagging in its own sophistication when it comes to technology.
We’ll be watching to see how this plays out, and what it means for HIPAA compliance in ways not yet identified. To those that have taken the proactive approach to cybersecurity for their healthcare practice, we commend you and expect that you’ll be ready to embrace these options ahead of those who have not. Thus, making your practice even more attractive to patients who will be even more aware of cybersecurity and what it means to their private health information – because those who are “in the know” know better than to ignore the warnings of a breach.
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