When the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 became federal law, it was initially intended to help ensure employees could maintain health insurance coverage when they were in between jobs. In the years that followed, HIPAA rules expanded to include requirements for organizations to implement controls and systems that would better protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient's consent or knowledge. This comprehensive piece of legislation now comprises the requirements of other legislation, including the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.
As HIPAA grew in scope, so did its complexity and the potential penalties of failing to comply with requirements. The fines and costs associated with HIPAA violations can greatly harm a healthcare organization's bottom line and deliver damage to its brand and reputation that can decrease patient trust and confidence. Depending upon the severity of the violation, an organization could experience withheld payments by Medicare, be forced to lay off employees, and even face criminal charges. Understanding and appropriately following HIPAA is essential for a healthcare organization's short- and long-term viability.
This detailed eBook takes a close look at HIPAA, focusing primarily on the rules governing the protection of sensitive patient data. By reading this guide, you'll come away with a better understanding of HIPAA regulations, best practices to help you improve and consistently maintain compliance, challenges that can derail compliance efforts, and resources you can use to further strengthen efforts around HIPAA compliance.
The guide delivers fundamentals, practical guidance, step-by-step instructions, tools, and much more to help you assess your organization's compliance with HIPAA and make sound decisions on where to improve your performance. Topics discussed about HIPAA include the following:
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