A Guide for Covered Entities and Business Associates under the HIPAA Security Rule Both covered entities *and* business associates hold a vital position in safeguarding electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). With increasing reliance on technology and data, the responsibility to protect sensitive patient information has never been more critical. The HIPAA Security Rule recognizes this...
Did you know that a single misstep by one of your business partners could topple your entire HIPAA compliance structure? As a covered entity, you’ve likely invested countless hours and resources into ensuring your practice is HIPAA compliant. But here’s a sobering thought: all that hard work could be undone by a business associate you...
Third-Party Risk Management in Healthcare: Safeguarding Patient Data Beyond Your Organization As a healthcare organization, you have a legal requirement to protect the sensitive data of your patients. However, your data security efforts don’t stop at your own organization’s walls. In today’s interconnected world, effectively managing third-party risk is crucial for safeguarding patient information and...
In today’s world where 45% of healthcare organizations reported experiencing a phishing attack in the previous 12 months, ongoing cybersecurity is no longer just a compliance checkbox – it’s a strategic imperative. As cyber threats continue to escalate in sophistication and frequency, small to mid-sized covered entities and business associates must go beyond mere compliance...
A recent incident involving Arkansas-based MedEvolve serves as a reminder of the consequences that arise from the mishandling of PHI and the importance of healthcare businesses ensuring that they and their business associates are HIPAA compliant. The HIPAA Violation On May 16, 2023, the HHS Office for Civil Rights announced the resolution of a HIPAA investigation...
The HIPAA Administrative Simplification provisions are in place to provide consistency in electronic communications within healthcare for Protected Health Information (PHI). These mandate the usage of standard transactions, code sets, and identifiers for the United States healthcare system. Who Must Comply? The most common organizations which must comply are healthcare clearinghouses, healthcare providers, and health...
In simple summary, a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is a legal contract that exists between a Covered Entity and a Business Associate who comes into contact with Protected Health Information (PHI). Sometimes called a Business Associate Contract, it is critical and required to maintain HIPAA compliance. With the main bulk of PHI being stored electronically,...
It’s easy to find a news story with someone misappropriating what HIPAA is, what it means, and what it does. Most people incorrectly assume how it protects their health records and information from ‘the world at large’. It does protect private health information, and it was created to allow for easy access to one’s health...
Patient data exposed Inmediata Health Group, Corp., a provider of clearinghouse services, software, and business processing solutions to health plans, hospitals, IPAs, and independent physicians recently announced a security incident affecting some customer data. The incident was discovered in January 2019 when Inmediata found a misconfigured webpage was allowing some electronic health information to be...
The Center for Children’s Digestive Health (CCDH) a small, for-profit practice has agreed to implement a corrective action plan for their potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the settlement includes a hefty payment of $31,000 for...
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