Be Compliant or Be Fined

Be compliant or be fined. While that statement may seem harsh and unforgiving, when it comes to protecting the privacy of your patients that is the only way to look at things. To help safeguard the medical information of patients, the government implemented the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law requires a strict adherence to policies and regulations to ensure the protection of all patient data.

Anyone working within the medical profession knows the importance of staying up-to-date and compliant with all HIPAA rules and regulations. Unfortunately, for many in the medical profession that have to keep records up-to-date and ensure all decisions are HIPAA compliant, this is just one big task in a sea of never-ending stressors and work. This is why a policy management software such as The Guard is so useful to any office or hospital.

Just as any law, there are many changes that occur every year. As technology grows, so does the importance of complying with each of these changes. A well-built policy management tool will update as the laws change and offer checklists to ensure the entire office is in compliance with the strict HIPAA laws.

For those that fail to meet the requirements of HIPAA rules, strict punishment is enforced. Hospitals have been fined almost a quarter of a million dollars for failing to comply, as well as a host of other fines, fees, and stipulations. Even worse than the monetary cost to an organization is the trust factor. A patient and their doctor have a special bond that relies on honesty and trust. Hospitals and organizations that do not take that bond seriously run the risk of losing the trust of their patients, making their job more difficult or their care less effective.