How does HIPAA impact your practice, and how can you stay compliant?

To address security concerns in healthcare, the U.S. Congress enacted HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). HIPAA establishes standards for electronic transactions and sets minimum security requirements to protect patient data. As healthcare increasingly relies on the Internet, compliance ensures both regulatory adherence and patient trust.

The Administrative Simplification section of HIPAA aims to standardize electronic data for administrative and financial transactions while safeguarding confidentiality and security.

Key Compliance Steps for Healthcare Providers:

• Implement HIPAA policies and update them regularly.
• Provide annual HIPAA training for staff.
• Inform patients about how their medical information is managed with clear, written policies.

Essential patient forms should include details on:

• Where and how files are stored.
• Who can access patient records.
• Billing service details (name, address, contact information).
• Claims processing details (healthcare clearinghouse and transmission methods).

How We Can Help with HIPAA Compliance:

• Develop employee and patient forms.
• Establish computer usage policies for staff.
• Create a disaster recovery plan and offsite data backup.
• Implement a contingency operations plan.
• Provide annual HIPAA training.
• Set up employee computer monitoring tools.

Contact us for information on HIPAA compliance.