Skip to content
HIPAA Rules and RegulationsCompliancy Group2022-09-29T16:49:06-04:00 HIPAA Rules and Regulations Show
You might be wondering, what is the HIPAA law? The HIPAA rules and regulations provide guidance for the proper uses and disclosures of protected health information (PHI), how to secure PHI, and what to do if there is a PHI breach. The HIPAA rules and regulations consists of three major components, the HIPAA Privacy rules, Security rules, and Breach Notification rules. A summary of these Rules is discussed below. HIPAA Rules and Regulations: Privacy RuleThe compliance date of the HIPAA Privacy Rule was April 14, 2003 with a one-year extension for certain “small plans”. HIPAA Privacy Rules regulate the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) held by covered entities which are defined as health care clearinghouses, employer sponsored health plans, health insurers, and medical service providers that engage in certain transactions. The Department of Health and Human Services, when implementing the HIPAA Omnibus Rule, extended the HIPAA privacy rule to independent contractors of covered entities who fit within the definition of a business associate. PHI is any information held by a covered entity which concerns health status, provision of health care, or payment for health care that can be linked to an individual. There are 18 fields of ePHI that need to be considered that include such items as Name, Diagnosis, Social Security Number, etc. This is includes any part of an individual’s medical record or payment history. Under HIPAA regulations, covered Entities must disclose PHI to the individual within 30 days upon request. They also must disclose PHI when required to do so by law such as reporting suspected child abuse or when presented with a subpoena or when requested by law enforcement. Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, a covered entity may disclose PHI to facilitate treatment, payment, or health care operations (TPO) without a patient’s express written authorization. Any other disclosure of PHI requires the covered entity to obtain and store written authorization from the individual for the disclosure. When a covered entity discloses any PHI, it must make a reasonable effort to disclose only the minimum necessary information required to achieve its purpose. HIPAA law under the Privacy and Security Rules requires covered entities to notify individuals of uses of their PHI. Covered entities must also keep track of disclosures of PHI and document privacy policies and procedures. They must appoint a Privacy Official and a contact person responsible for receiving complaints and train all members of their workforce in procedures regarding PHI. An individual who believes that HIPAA Privacy Rules are not being upheld can file a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the reporting information but be available on the organizations Notice of Privacy Practices that is handed to the patient or visible in an obvious place like a doctors waiting room. Let’s Simplify ComplianceOur software simplifies compliancewhile covering the full extent of the HIPAA rules and regulations.HIPAA Compliancewith Compliancy GroupHIPAA Rules and Regulations: Security RuleThe Security Standards were issued on February 20, 2003 but the HIPAA law went into effect on April 21, 2003 with a compliance date of April 21. The HIPAA Privacy Rule pertains to all Protected Health Information (PHI) including paper and electronic, the Security Rule deals specifically with Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI). HIPAA Rules and Regulations lay out three types of security safeguards required for compliance: administrative, physical, and technical. For each of these types, the HIPAA Privacy Rule identifies security standards, and for each standard, it names both required and addressable implementation specifications. Required specifications must be adopted and administered as dictated by the Rule. Addressable specifications are more flexible. Individual covered entities can evaluate their own situation and determine the best way to implement addressable specifications. The HIPAA Rules and Regulations standards and specifications are as follows:
HIPAA Rules and Regulations: Breach Notification RuleThe HIPAA Breach Notification Rule requires organizations that experience a PHI breach to report the incident. Depending on how many patients are affected by the breach, reporting requirements differ. Breaches affecting 500 or more patients must be reported to the HHS OCR, affected patients, and the media. These large-scale breaches must be reported within 60 days of discovery. Additionally when a breach affects 500 or more patients, they are publicly displayed on the OCR breach portal. Breaches affecting less than 500 patients must be reported to HHS OCR and affected patients. These breaches must be reported within 60 days from the end of the calendar year (March 1st) in which the breach was discovered. Let Us Help You Satisfy HIPAA Rules and RegulationsPage load linkImportant HIPAA Deadline: December 31st, Required Assessment Due Which of the following types of information are protected by HIPAA?Health information such as diagnoses, treatment information, medical test results, and prescription information are considered protected health information under HIPAA, as are national identification numbers and demographic information such as birth dates, gender, ethnicity, and contact and emergency contact ...
What are the 3 things that HIPAA laws protect?General Rules
Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all e-PHI they create, receive, maintain or transmit; Identify and protect against reasonably anticipated threats to the security or integrity of the information; Protect against reasonably anticipated, impermissible uses or disclosures; and.
What are four kinds of information protected by HIPAA?What does HIPAA law protect?. Names.. Addresses (including subdivisions smaller than state such as street, city, county, and zip code). Dates (except years) directly related to an individual, such as birthdays, admission/discharge dates, death dates, and exact ages of individuals older than 89.. Telephone numbers.. Fax numbers.. |