HIPAA Compliance Blog

According to HIPAA mandates, a third party that engages with PHI or ePHI through the services it is contracted to provide to the covering entity (for example, a clinic, medical support, social services, or health organization) is considered a business associate.

HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) became law in 1996 and revolutionized requirements and practices ensuring patient rights, privacy, and security. Instead of laws that were unclear or insufficient in some cases, HIPAA became federally mandated and regulated. However, the healthcare businesses that must comply have to navigate complex rules and make sure regulations are being followed.

No doubt about it, the laws and regulations associated with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) are quite complex. Complying with these rules and providing sufficient safeguards can be a daunting and overwhelming task for your organization.

On September 5-6, the 10th annual Safeguarding Health Information: Building Assurance through HIPAA Security conference was held in Washington, D.C.

Let’s start with what happens if you are not compliant: $1.5 million could be just the start of your costs. That is what the civil monetary penalties can be up to for settlements with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for HIPAA breaches.