Know about HIPAA risk assessment

One of the primary functions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is to guarantee security and protect the confidentiality of health information. Covered Entities such as doctor’s offices, hospitals and pharmacies, as well as any third party Business Associates are responsible for compliance with HIPAA guidelines. Risk assessment plays a vital role in compliance and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has established steps to help Covered Entities apply the HIPAA risk assessment or security rule to their daily business practices.

The purpose of the Security Rule is to evaluate risks, threats and vulnerabilities, and outline policies and procedures that should be implemented to address any issues that could cause a security breach. In order to secure Protected Health Information (PHI) and identify any possible threats, all CoveredEntities are required to implement appropriate security processes. A threat can be intentional or unintentional and must be addressed for a Covered Entity to remain compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Steps have been developed to help Covered Entities maintain security and compliance. The initial step should be identification of any areas needing to be analyzed and to begin collecting data to provide structure for a risk analysis. Once data has been collected, a risk analysis will help document any threats, risks or vulnerabilities, which then allows the Covered Entity to evaluate current security measures to determine the possibility of a security breach. Once current security measures have been examined, it is time to determine the potential impact of any risk and what areas need stronger security measures.

After the completion of the risk analysis, a risk management strategy has to be developed to address any issues found during the investigation. A risk management plan must be created to provide structure through the process of implementing any new or updated security measures. When the risk management plan is in place, the necessary security measures can be employed, along with a plan for continuous evaluation to ensure ongoing security of data.

 All Covered Entities must establish a process for risk analysis and management to guarantee HIPAA compliance. Basic steps have been outlined for the evaluation of any vulnerability, risks or threats, as well as a process to address any problems that could result in a breach or HIPAA non-compliance. By following these basic steps a Covered Entity can manage any risk they may discover and quickly respond to potential threats.

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HIPAA Compliance Software

Organizations responsible for the security of Protected Health Information (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) can implement software to attain compliance. Implementing the appropriatesoftware will not only ensure compliance but also drastically reduce the time required.Using HIPAA compliance software allows covered entities to maintain HIPAA, HITECH, and Omnibus compliance while avoiding the high cost associated with an audit. When a company uses the appropriate software, the daily management of HIPAA compliance can be affordable and flexible.

Any software that collects, stores, or shares PHI with an organization should include safeguards to protect data. HIPAA compliance software must adhere to the Privacy and Security Rules of HIPAA, due to the inherent dangers of handling PHI. One of the basic functions of HIPAA compliance software is secure access to PHI via unique user authentication. An essential element is the encryption of data. Additional functions include regular safety updates (which provide protection from any breach), the ability to audit data and ensure it has not been accessed or modified in any unauthorized way, and data backup.

Since there is no safe harbor clause for HIPAA, it is important to find third party file storage and hosting platforms that explicitly state they are HIPAA compliant. Building your own HIPAA compliance infrastructure is costly and time consuming. It will require ongoing expenditures to maintain, due to HIPAA law changes, updates and auditing. HIPAA hosting and compliance utilizes website applications or data storage and hosting services to comply with the physical safeguard requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule.

PHI must be stored in a compliant environment; therefore, using software and web-based applications can guarantee proper management and handling of PHI. Physical safeguard requirements of the Security Rule are also addressed with compliance software. The implementation of network and application security best practices will protect a hosting environment. A good infrastructure design eliminates all single point of failures, and the use of multiple servers provides essential backupshould a server crash. High availability and redundancy of data are crucial to HIPAA compliance infrastructures.

HIPAA compliance software delivers essential protection for any organization responsible for the security of documentation protected under HIPAA guidelines. Using third party file storage and hosting services will provide cost-effective solutions for HIPAA compliance.

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Get to know about the HIPAA risk assessment

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, better known as HIPAA, affects more than just insurance companies. Several establishments, including doctors, hospitals and pharmacies, must conformto HIPAA guidelines. One of the most important aspects regarding HIPAA is a risk assessment. This is why the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed a rule titled “Security Standards for the Protection of Electronic Protected Health Information”, commonly known as the Security Rule.

All Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) is subjected to the Security Rule and companies who are required to follow HIPAA guidelines must implement security practices to protect this information. The Security Rule requires the evaluation of risks, threats and vulnerabilities, and the implementation of policies and procedures to address them. In order to identify the areas that pose a threat, organizations must develop the proper security processes.

Whether a threat is intentional or unintentional is irrelevant, the main focus should be compliance with HIPAA regulations. CMS developed basic steps to help with risk analysis and risk management. While this approach is not required, the following steps can help organizations develop a basic risk analysis. First, it is important to pinpoint the areas to be analyzed and begin gathering relevant data. This will provide structure to the analysis. Next, it is time to recognize and document any risks, threats, or vulnerabilities; once this is completed it’s time to evaluate security measures already in place. This will help to determine the likelihood of a security breach. The final steps include discovering the potential impact and level of risk, and deciding where to implement security measures.

Once a risk analysis has been completed, it’s time to develop a risk management strategy. Common steps to address risk management include creating a risk management plan to provide structure when implementing security measures. Once the plan is in place, it’s time to employ the necessary security measures. Finally, continuous evaluation of these measures is vital in maintaining security.

Risk analysis and management is an integral part of HIPAA risk assessment and compliance. CMS has provided extensive information on their website to help companies develop a plan of action specific to their own individual needs, while at the same time following the Security Rule to protect all ePHI and other documents falling under HIPAA guidelines. The steps recommended by CMSprovide a basic approach to effectively manage any threats or risks a company may encounter.

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