Determining whether or not you are or are not a covered entity is relatively straight forward, but is a hugely important step in becoming HIPAA compliant. So just in case there is anyone out there in the health care industry who is not sure about their standing as a covered entity, HHS produced a handy …
Read MoreUnder the HIPAA Omnibus rule, heath care providers have to be more careful than ever with how they handle protected information. This includes carefully managing any protected information that business associates might handle. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a business associate is: “a person or entity, other than a member …
Read MorePasswords have become the primary mechanism by which many people prove their online identity so as to communicate, bank, shop, and use their electronics. This can be a good thing – easier access to information is usually positive. When it comes to protecting sensitive information however, people need to be increasingly careful with what they …
Read MoreOn April 23, the HCCA 2013 Compliancy Institute released the initial overview of its Audit of HIPAA privacy, security, and breach notification compliancy. Since December of 2012, 115 performance audits of health care providers, plans, and clearinghouses have been conducted. While the number of audits is small, the results have major implications for small providers. …
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