When OCR resumes its HIPAA audits sometime this year, healthcare organizations can expect members of the audit team to focus on key issues identified by the federal agency.
The HITECH Act, which included changes to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, was signed into law by President Obama in February 2009?a full five years ago.
Mobile devices have changed the way people share and access information in their personal and professional lives. Smartphones and tablets may make it easier and faster for people to communicate, store, and access information, but they present risks if lost, stolen, or hacked. This can be especially challenging in the healthcare industry as it has become common for providers to use various mobile tools, including smartphones, laptops, notebooks, tablets, phablets, personal digital assistants, USB devices, digital cameras, and radiofrequency identification devices, to communicate with colleagues and access applications.
The HIPAA Security Rule requires implementing risk management tools and techniques to adequately and effectively safeguard ePHI. Risk analysis and management provides the foundation for an organization's Security Rule compliance efforts, and reinforces its strategy to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of vital information.
You hear it over and over again. Covered Entity (CE) A failed to produce an ongoing risk assessment for HIPAA security compliance. CE B had an incomplete risk analysis, leading to a failure to recognize security weaknesses and vulnerabilities. And in come the fines.
The hospital/health system revenue cycle has a significant role in hospital billing compliance. The billing department is the final gatekeeper for compliance, as it is the final area to touch a bill before it is sent to Medicare. Therefore, it is essential that billing staff understand key compliance risk areas.
To fully understand where your organization's risks lie, you not only need to have a firm grasp on risk analysis and assessment processes, you need to define these processes as well.
UK HealthCare’s Chief Compliance Officer R. Brett Short knew he was in for a rough day as soon as he saw the email from his organization’s privacy officer.
