Today's Article on Understanding the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule and Breach Notification Rules and their compliance

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)’s Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules are aimed at protecting the privacy, as well as the security aspects of health information. This set of rules has the intention of providing individuals with some rights on information relating to their health. 

This is how the three rules need to be understood:

The Privacy Rule: Sets out standards about the conditions to be met for using and disclosing Protected Health Information (PHI). This Rule applies nationally.

The Security Rule: Specifies the kinds of safeguards that Covered Entities and Business Associates have to put in place and implement for protecting electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) and ensure that they remain confidential and are made available when required, and have integrity.

The Breach Notification Rule: Covered Entities have to report breach of unsecured PHI to the affected individuals and the HHS. In some situations, this has to be reported to the media, as well. The Breach Notification Rule has details on how this is to be done. Generally, a window period of 60 days is given from the date of detection of the breach. Small breaches, meaning breaches that affect lesser than 500 individuals, may be directly reported to the HHS annually.

Purview of the HIPAA Privacy Rule and Security Rule

Privacy Rule: HIPAA Privacy Rule has standards on how to protect PHI held by the following: Health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, healthcare providers; part of whose healthcare transactions are carried out electronically, and Business Associates

Security Rule: HIPAA Security Rule sets out standards and guidelines on the steps that Covered Entities and Business Associates have to take to ensure that Protected Health Information is confidential, has integrity and is made available when needed. The Security Rule describes how these qualities in the ePHI created, maintained or transmitted by them.

Knowledge of all these aspects is very necessary if the Covered Entity or Business Associate has to ensure HIPAA compliance. The task of HIPAA compliance does not become possible with just a reading of the rules and the procedures. Expert advice on how to actually implement the requirements is needed.

This is what a two-day seminar from GlobalCompliancePanel, a leading provider of professional trainings for the regulatory compliance areas, will offer. At this seminar, Jim Sheldon Dean, Director of Compliance Services, Lewis Creek Systems, LLC, will be the Director.

In order to gain complete understanding of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule and the Breach Notification Rules, and to understand ways by which to ensure compliance with them in a way that satisfies the regulatory authorities, please register for this seminar by logging on to http://www.globalcompliancepanel.com/control/globalseminars/~product_id=900754?linkedin-SEO .

Jim Sheldon Dean will explain the requirements of HIPAA, how to prevent incidents, and how to survive audits, so that penalties can be avoided. He will offer an explanation of the background to HIPAA, and detail what a manager of healthcare information privacy and security has to know about the most important privacy and security issues. He will also show how to ensure HIPAA compliance, and explain the consequences of inadequate HIPAA compliance.

This seminar will provide in-depth understanding on the major aspects of HIPAA compliance, such as:

o  The new features of the regulations

o  The recent changes

o  The aspects that Covered Entities and Business Associates need to address if they have to remain compliant.

Learning on all aspects of HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule and Breach Notification Rules

Jim will also explain audits and enforcements. He will also describe privacy and security breaches and explain how to avoid them. He will enrich the learning by providing sample documents and references.

Jim will cover the following areas at this two-day session:

o  Overview of HIPAA Regulations

o  HIPAA Privacy Rule Principles, Policies and Procedures

o  Recent and Proposed Changes to the HIPAA Rules

o  HIPAA Security Rule Principles

o  HIPAA Security Policies and Procedures and Audits

o  Risk Analysis for Security and Meaningful Use

o  Risk Mitigation and Compliance Remediation

o  Documentation, Training, Drills and Self-Audits.

https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Medicare-Learning-Network-MLN/MLNProducts/Downloads/HIPAAPrivacyandSecurityTextOnly.pdf