Monthly Archives: January 2011
What are the HIPAA Notice Requirements?
HIPAA has various notice requirements as part of its regulatory scheme. The Department of Labor publishes a Compliance Assistance Guide that organizes the notice requirements in HIPAA into a chart, applicable as of October 2010. Various requirements under HIPAA Notice can be listed down as: HIPAA Certificate of Creditable Coverage The HIPAA certificate of creditable … Continue reading
SecureGRC SB™ from eGestalt to help small businesses with HIPAA & HITECH compliance
eGestalt is a provider of information technology governance, risk management and compliance (IT-GRC) solutions for small to mid-size organizations. eGestalt, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has offices in US, Asia-Pacific and Middle East., has announced the U.S. availability of SecureGRC SB™, a patent-pending Cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (Saas) application that helps to meet HIPAA … Continue reading
Using hard drive full disc encryption for safety of electronic data
Healthcare providers often stand at the risk of losing confidential and personal data when laptop computers are misplaced or stolen. Companies large and small, public and private, are all at risk. The real and associated costs of data breaches are staggering: In 2006, corporations that experienced a data breach spent an average of $5 million … Continue reading
Civil and Criminal penalties for HIPAA violations
The authorities have made it a point that a strict penalty is imposed on healthcare providers in case HIPAA laws are violated. When the personal health information of any patient is unlawfully transferred from one source to another, the law imposes both, criminal and civil penalties. The civil penalties for HIPAA violations include: The American … Continue reading
Importance of complying with the norms of the HITECH Act
HITECH Act was signed in 2009 but it took effect in 2010. HITECH intends to encourage the adoption and meaningful use of technology as it pertains to health information. HITECH strengthens civil and criminal enforcement of the existing HIPAA rules and regulations and for those not dealing with the electronic transmission of health information properly, … Continue reading
Why will to need to flash your photo ID during your doctor visit?
With the advent of 2011, you now not only have to sign a new privacy form every time you visit a doctor but also have to show your photo ID. This is because with December 31, 2010, a new legislation designed to prevent the theft of your identity – colloquially called the “Red Flags Rule” … Continue reading
HIPAA Security Certification and Training
Certification training for information professionals applies directly to the storage and use of Protected Health Information (PHI) and the electronic version (EPHI). This is defined as any information which can directly identify an individual and any care received. This includes physical or mental care or state of health in the past, present, or future, as … Continue reading
What are the amendments to the Red Flags Rule?
The Red Flags Rule has been delayed five times and it has finally come into effect on January 1, 2011. After the amendment to exclude health care providers and a few other industries, the rule now requires other businesses that lend money or allow consumers to make payments to take specific steps to minimize identity … Continue reading
What are the Network security requirements under HIPAA?
With the advancement of technology and increasing exchange of patient information between health organizations, insurance providers and referral agencies exposes patient information to a series of users and facilities. So, health-related organizations must meet certain technology requirements in terms of how their computer networks operate in order to comply with HIPAA. These network requirements provide … Continue reading
CMS to hold teleconferences on ICD-10 and HIPAA 5010 implementation
Last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had issued a reminder to health care providers, health plans, clearinghouses, and vendors about the approaching compliance dates for a new generation of diagnosis and procedure codes and updated standards for electronic health care transactions. It also stated that all entities covered under the Health … Continue reading