How To Make The Covered Entities HIPAA Compliant

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has been one of the most important pieces of federal legislation in the health care industry. HIPAA has changed the way information of patients is handled, processed and stored and also helps an employee keep their medical coverage even when they switch jobs.

These provisions of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act have far reaching implications both for individuals who have medical coverage and health care providers. HIPAA also dictates standards for privacy and security of protected information of patients.

Health care providers and other organizations that are classified as "covered entities" would be required to comply with all the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

8 Steps To Make Covered Entities HIPAA Compliant

1. It is very important that the confidential information of patients is safeguarded and protected and only authorized people are able to access and view it. If you want to ensure this you would need to move your computers and other storage devices that have this protected information to a secure area where their access will be restricted.

2. Even in a secure area the computer screens would need to be placed in such a way that no one is able to see the information that is displayed on the screen and misuse it.

3. All the programs and files that contain the confidential information would need to be password protected and it would be advisable to change the passwords at regular intervals.

4. A log should be maintained that will list all the files that contain information about patients. The log should also contain information as to how had accessed the information. Date and purpose of accessing the information should also be mentioned.

5. Only users who will have access should be provided with user names and passwords so that they can gain access to it. The employees should remember to close the programs and other relevant information when they are not at their desk. This will help prevent any sort of misuse.

6. Additional security can be provided to the computers and programs if you fear any unauthorized access. All the files and records need to be checked so that any violation is detected immediately.

7. All employees who will be handling the protected information should be provided with suitable training programs so that they are aware of the various rules and procedures that govern Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

8. There are various additional changes that place in the rules and regulations and it is the responsibility of the health care provider to keep their employees updated on the recent changes that have taken place in HIPAA.

Health care providers and other organizations specified by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act as covered entities would be able to keep their organizations HIPAA compliant by following all the rules and regulations. They would also be able to avoid stringent penalties for violations. There is also the danger of losing their business license if they are found to be violating the rules repeatedly.

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What Are The Various Components Of HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that was passed in 1996 was initially created to ensure that employees who shift jobs do not have to lose their insurance and that they can continue to have medical insurance for themselves and their family. The other important provision of the act is pertaining to protection of confidential information of patients.

There are various people who would be able to access patient information and this can be misused for marketing purposes or other fraudulent purposes. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act has five different components that make it easier to implement the law.

5 Components of HIPAA

1. The first component of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is Title I. It helps deal with health care access, portability of medical cover of employees and protection of insurance cover for individuals who have pre-existing illness.

2. The second component known as Title II deals with fraud, abuse and helps in simplifying the administration of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. All health care providers make use of this component the most as it contains the important provisions of privacy and security rules of HIPAA.

3. Title III which deals with the third component of HIPAA deals with how employers handle medical savings accounts and other insurance related issues.

4. The fourth component known as Title IV deals with the group health plan requirements that enable individuals to carry their previous medical cover to their current job.

5. The fifth component known as Title V deals with revenue offsets. Tax deductions are also included in this component.

The health care organizations must have various administrative safeguards in place so that the protected information is not used for any other purpose. It will also ensure that individuals who are authorized to access the personal information of patients will be able to do so after they have fulfilled some conditions. These conditions could be pertaining to using passwords or any specific software to access the protected information.

As all information is stored electronically it is important that there are enough safeguards in place to help prevent theft and abuse of information. All computers and other electronic equipment used for storage of patient information should be in a secure place that is not accessible for everyone. The workstations where all this information is available can also be locked to help prevent unauthorized entry. Any other safety measures that will ensure that the information is protected can also be taken.

Apart from this all health care providers would need to have various internal policies and processes in place so that all requirements of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act are fulfilled and chances of penalty for violation are greatly reduced. There can be internal audits for this purpose and the compliance officers who are appointed can ensure that all recent changes in HIPAA are also brought to the notice of employees. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act has been a great piece of legislature that has managed to change the way health care services are provided to individuals.

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Does Your Organization Need HIPAA Training And Certification?

The number of people who are losing their jobs has been on the increase and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) helps employees and their families have medical insurance cover even when they lose their jobs. HIPAA also helps protect patient information through privacy and security rules. This will help prevent fraud and insurance abuse and bring down the cost of administration.

All information pertaining to the health of a patient is nowadays stored electronically and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ensures that this confidential information is not viewed by all. Only patients and other authorized employees of health care providers would be able to access this information and this will help prevent its misuse.

What Are The Covered Entities That Require HIPAA Training And Certification

* Health care providers - HIPAA training and certification is necessary for all health care providers as they would have access to confidential information of patients. Clinics, hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes and pharmacies are all classified as health care providers. Employees who work in these health care providers and who will be accessing the patient information would need to be adequately trained in processing and storing this information. Doctors, nurses, receptionists and managers (hospitals and clinics) are just some of the individuals who would be needing this training and certification.

* Health insurance companies - People who are working in the health insurance companies should also be aware of the various provisions of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The training will help them learn who will be eligible for medical cover and the type of coverage that they are entitled to. This will also help prevent any insurance abuse or fraud. The employees should also be trained in proper documentation, processing and storage of information.

* Clearing houses - There are some organizations that are involved in medical billing and claims. Employees of such organizations would also need to be trained and certified so that they are aware of the importance of processing this important information in a proper way. Employees who work in the organizations specified above would not be able to comply with the various provisions of the act if they are not adequately trained and certified. Training will serve the dual purpose of ensuring compliance of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and avoiding penalties for non compliance of the act.

There are various ways in which the employers of the organizations specified as "covered entities" can provide training to their employees. Training can be provided either in the classroom or using the Internet. There are many colleges and hospitals that have online training programs that can be easily completed. The cost of the training programs would vary depending on the course details that are taught and other services that are requested.

The employer can choose the training program that best suits the specific needs of his employees. The choice of course can also be done based on the responsibility that is entrusted on the employee who would be handling the protected information of the patient. Training of employees will ensure easy compliance of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

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