In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed and signed into law. One of the major portions of this Act was the requirement that medical providers (insurers, hospitals, doctors, etc.) secure patient health information with data encryption. The idea was to simplify administration and decrease healthcare costs through standardized electronic transmission of health data.
Anyone who has been to a doctor in the ensuing years has no doubt signed the privacy notice. The privacy notice deals specifically with the handling of Protected Health Information (PHI) and its use and disclosure of this information. Failure to protect PHI or comply with HIPAA security can result in fines up to $250,000 and up to 10 years in prison.
Since HIPAA deals with the electronic security of data, it is important to have good
IT Support services when setting up protection. Not only do records need to be protected, but contingency plans must be in place in the event of a breach in security. Failure to protect data in a contingency plan can lead to HIPAA violations.
An article posted on www.eweek.com, 34% of providers say there has been a patient data record breach in the last 2 years.
So what is a provider to do? First, select an IT Support firm that has experience in encryption to “ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all electronically protected health information” that you “create, receive, maintain or transmit” (Section 164.306(a) of HIPPA). For IT
Consulting Los Angeles has several that can assist providers in meeting the security requirements for HIPAA.
All PHI must be protected against reasonably anticipated threats or hazards. In California, PHI should be protected against earthquakes, since that can be “reasonably anticipated,” while tornadoes would not meet that criteria. In choosing IT Support, be sure the protection plan includes plans for these threats.
Above all, providers need to choose an IT consulting firm with experience in HIPAA. When looking at
IT Consulting Los Angeles has several firms with the experience to assist providers in meeting HIPAA electronic protection requirements. Providers should seek out these firms so they can rest assured their
patient data is safe