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HIPAA Security Rule

Your HIPAA Security Rules should follow the mandated rules covered by entities, business associates, and their
subcontractors. Such rule and implementation should focus on security and protection of electronic protected health
information (ePHI) that is created, received, and/or maintained. The rule specifies a series of administrative,
physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI. Most infractions
and violations accurse as a result of some type of deviation/short cut from policies and procedures put in place to
safeguard ePHI.

HPPPA Fines Do what is right because it is right!

Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Information Technology Act and HIPAA’s final omnibus rule provide
additional guidance and authority for the Health and Human Services (HHS) to enforce HIPAA compliance through
audits and financial penalties.

A new HIPAA compliance has now instituted phase II of the Health and Human Services HIPAA Audit Program. This
means the office civil right (OCR) will complete compliance audits. If your practice has not completed a risk
assessment within the last 12 months, your practice is advised to do so immediately. Risk assessments are
fundamental requirements under HIPAA. The completion of such risk analysis, will ensure that your practice fully
understand the medical environment and the risks it presents to protecting privacy and securing PHI.

The new omnibus rule is a great enhancement to patient’s privacy rights and protection as this rule strengthens the
ability of appropriate governing office’s to vigorously enforce the HIPAA privacy and security rules of protections.
This enforcement is through random audit.

HIPAA compliance audits can be triggered by one of five ways:

♦ Self-reported data breach (required under Breach Notification Rule)

♦ Patient complaints to governing agencies (HHS)

♦ Complaints by current or ex-employees to HHS

♦ Data breach in an excess of 500 patient records

♦ Random targets selected by HHS

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