HIPAA - Required Compliance Standards for Paper & Electronic Health Records

What is HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 specifies a series of administrative, physical and technical safeguards to assure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of protected health information (PHI). Individuals, organizations and agencies that meet the definition of a covered entity must comply with its rules to protect the privacy and security of all patient information. Any breach of confidentiality, such as improperly discarded documents, must be reported to the authorities and, in cases involving over 500 records, to local media as well.

Under HIPAA law, every healthcare provider, including doctors, clinics, psychologists, dentists, chiropractors, nursing homes, pharmacies and insurance providers, is required to prevent unauthorized access to PHI at all times. 

But is it only medical organizations that should worry about HIPAA?

No. In addition to the healthcare industries, HIPAA also affects those providing certain information or services to or for healthcare providers. For example, a company that performs medical billing or other services involving PHI.

What is HITECH?

In 2009, Congress passed a law that greatly increased the security and enforcement capabilities of HIPAA, known as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.

Access Records Management Can Help Your Company Stay Compliant

At Access, we provide customers with the highest levels of privacy and security concerning their confidential information. We closely follow any new developments and regulations emerging from HIPAA and will quickly implement and update our own procedures to assure that our clients continually meet the compliance requirements of the Act.

Find out how our comprehensive solutions can also ensure your compliance with other state and federal regulations.