...Act, HIPAA. For the purpose of the exercise, this document will examine a typical visit to the doctor’s office. The focus will be to identify the various organizational, administrative, physical and technical safeguards that a doctor’s office should have in place to protect protected health information (PHI) as well as provide guidance in needed areas for compliance. In particular, the paper’s focus pinpoints the ePHI although all health information, written and oral should be addressed with HIPAA. The importance of protecting the confidentiality of patient information requires a synergy of effort from IT, management and staff. Purpose The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed by Congress in 1996 and deals with security of healthcare information (HIPAA Administrative Simplification Statute and Rules, n.d.). The HIPAA regulations apply to health care providers who transmit any health information electronically, health plans (including Medicare and Medicaid programs), health care clearinghouses and healthcare business associates (Unknown, 2013). HIPAA defines a health care provider as a provider of medical or health services or any other person or organization who furnishes, bills, or is paid for health care in the normal course of business (Unknown, 2013). The intention is to protect the individual’s privacy and confidentiality throughout the gathering, transmitting and storing of healthcare information. The various components of HIPAA cover...
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...Administrative Ethics Kimberly Fuentes HCS/335 May 4, 2015 Christine Singel Administrative Ethics Portable digital devices, such as smart phones, tablets, and netbooks, now permeate our society. These devices allow substantial efficiencies in access to and communication of information by health professionals. The efficiencies and conveniences of mobile communication are even more astonishing in that they have become accepted and expected aspects of everyday life within a very brief time period (Taube, 2013). In today’s world a high percentage of physicians carry some mode of mobile communication that enables them to care for their patients when away from their physical practice. As mobile devices have developed, we now have the ability to write and receive emails, dictation, filming, photographing, and image sharing available to most smart phone users. All of these features drastically increase the chance that a patient’s privacy could be breached. If a physician’s mobile device is lost or stolen there is a substantially higher risk of disclosure of a large volume of detailed, identifiable treatment and personal contact information for a wide range of the physician’s patients. Ethical and legal issues Mobile devices are particularly vulnerable to loss and theft because of their small size and portability. The most common form of security breach is the theft of a cell phone. In addition, clinicians are far more likely to use their own personal mobile devices, rather...
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...fast growing trend among healthcare providers” (Barrett, 2011) . In the world today physicians and patients are using mobile devices an order to communicate with each other more and more. This of course raises distresses when it comes to the security of protected health information. This article discusses the issue on security by the use of electronic transfer of protected health information between health care providers and patients and also how those issues may cross HIPAA Security Rule. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was establish in 1996, in order to protect the privacy and security of patient’s health information. “The Security Standards for the Protection of Electronic Protected Health Information (the Security Rule) establish a national set of security standards for protecting certain health information that is held or transferred in electronic form” (U.S Department of Health & Human Services, n.d). There are many reasons why the use of mobile devices triggers the HIPAA Security Rule. Unauthorized disclosure of protect health information is very much at risk because mobile devices can only store in two ways: within the phone memory itself; or within the SIM card. When physicians and patients exchange electronic protected health information the mobile device keeps record on the device which is not good because that means that unauthorized users can have access to this record if the mobile device is lost or stolen. “The most common form...
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...Jennifer Sanchez MOD 160 Night Class M.B&C Chapter 2: Compliance, Privacy, Fraud, and Abuse in Insurance Billing 1. Define compliance. 2. Name the two provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) that relate most to health care. 3. Explain the difference between Titles I insurance Reform and Title II Administrative Simplification. 4. Describe the Privacy Rule under HIPAA. 5. Define protected health information (PHI). 6. Identify the difference between disclosure and use of PHI. 7. Illustrate the difference between privileged and nonprivileged information. 8. Explain patient rights under HIPAA. 9. Explain responsibilities of the health care organization to protect patient rights under HIPAA. 10. State the guidelines for HIPAA privacy compliance. 11. List the three major categories of security safeguards under HIPAA. 12. Define the provisions of the HITECH Act. 13. List the civil and criminal penalties of noncompliance with HIPAA regulations. 14. Identify the difference between fraud and abuse. 15. Identify the Federal and State laws that regulate health care fraud and abuse. 16. List the various fraud and abuse audit programs 17. Describer the basic components of an effective compliance program. Compliance Defined * All regulations, recommendations, and expectations of regulating agencies must be met to be in compliance. * The professional elements...
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...Topic Paper #1: HIPAA - How the Security Rule Supports the Privacy Rule INTRODUCTION: HIPAA privacy rule: The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. The Rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information, and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization. The Rule also gives patients rights over their health information, including rights to examine and obtain a copy of their health records, and to request corrections. (HHS, 2003) HIPAA security rule: The HIPAA Security Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ electronic personal health information that is created, received, used, or maintained by a covered entity. The Security Rule requires appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic protected health information. (HHS, 2003) Typically ePHI is stored in: • Computer hard drives • Magnetic tapes, disks, memory cards • Any kind of removable/transportable digital memory media • All transmission media used to exchange information such as the Internet, leased lines, dial-up, intranets, and private...
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...HIPAA Privacy – Safe Guarding and Securing Patient Data HIPAA Privacy – Safe Guarding and Securing Patient Data Robert N. Reges DeVry University/ HSM 410 Professor Anthony LaBonte 12 December 2010 Abstract According to section 1.07 of the APA Publication Manual [ (Ame01) ], “An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the article; it allows readers to survey the contents of an article quickly, and like a title, it enables abstracting and information services to index and retrieve articles” (p. 12). . HIPAA Privacy – Safe Guarding and Securing Patient Data It has been said time and time again that life was much less complicated at the turn of the 20th Century and this saying could not be truer when it comes to medicine. At the turn of the 1900’s there was a personal bond between the provider and the patient, between the provider and the community, and between citizens in the community. In small towns across the nation there was less of a sense of privacy & individualism and more emphasis on helping your neighbor; because of this medical privacy was not a concern. You cannot help your neighbor if you are not aware of their issues. If we fast forward to the year 2010 times have changed significantly; with the advent of technology the American culture has changed. Personal information is no longer just stored on paper in the doctor’s office, patient information is stored in vast computer banks and sold like stocks and bonds on...
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...Services Information Security Program Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance Guide September 14, 2005 Page i Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Compliance Guide US Department of Health and Human Services Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................... i Preface.........................................................................................................iii Document Change History ............................................................................iv 1. Introduction ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2. 2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................... 1 Background...................................................................................... 1 Scope.............................................................................................. 2 Document Organization ..................................................................... 4 HIPAA Administrative Simplification Requirements ........................... 5 General Overview ............................................................................. 5 2.1.1 HIPAA Administrative Simplification Goals and Objectives ............. 5 2.1.2 HIPAA Definitions .................................................................... 5 2.1.2.1 Covered...
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...privacy and security of health information | | Privacy Rule | •Provide information to patients about their privacy rights and how the information can be used.•Adopt clear privacy procedures.•Train employees on privacy procedures.•Designate someone to be responsible for overseeing that privacy procedures are adopted and followed. | It regulates the use and disclosure of PHI by covered entities. A covered entity, for example, includes health care providers, health plans, and health care clearinghouses | Security Rule | IT contains three broad safeguards. These safeguards include the following:•Administrative safeguards •Technical safeguards •Physical safeguard | The Security Rule provides for the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI | Enforcement Rule | The Enforcement Rule established the procedures for investigations and hearings into noncompliance. | To set the penalties to be levied as a result of HIPAA violations....
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...HIPAA and Our Responsibility Jimmy Nazario HIPAA Overview: Privacy and Security – Section I MBC203 Prof. Deana Arvidson, RHIA, CCS INTRODUCTION The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) were enacted by Congress in 1996 to protect workers and their families’ health insurance due to change or lose of jobs. Different key provisions (Title I and Title II) under HIPAA deal with insurance reforms (Title I) and privacy and security regulations (Title II), that outlines guidance; coverage; penalties; and responsibilities to everyone in the healthcare field (beneficiaries, providers, or entity). OUR RESPONSIBILITY As a professional in the healthcare industry, our responsibility concerning HIPAA’s regulation is greater since we will be entrusted with the patients’ personal and private health information. The consequences for not following HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rule can be from civil monetary penalties to federal fines and/or imprisonment. It is our responsibility to safeguard all Protected Health Information (PHI) under Title II provision of HIPAA’s regulation. We have to implement and follow Administrative Safeguards (policies and procedures that outline control and handling of PHI); Physical Safeguards (physical access and controls of PHI); Technical Safeguards (protected electronic communications and transmission of PHI). As stated above the noncompliance of HIPAA’s Privacy and Security rule can be very severe, from civil fines and lawsuit...
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...Carson Cummings Lab Assignment for May 16, 2015 1. HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was set into to place to ensure that all doctors, hospitals, health care providers and researcher keep classified patients information private. The HIPAA was designed to protect the consumer. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society annual survey gave percentages of log sources. Firewall and Application Logs, servers, intrusion detection and network devices each accounting for over 60%. In addition the Storage area network survey notes a 15-20% increase of log data being collect every year due new regulations, increased log sources and inclusion of application logs. All of data that is collected from the logs is used to detect and prevent unauthorized access and insider abuse, to ensure regulatory compliance and for IT Troubleshooting and network operations. HIPAA requires audit controls, breach notifications, account management reviews, accounting of disclosures and information system activity reviews that drive the necessary logging and audits for corporations to stay in compliance. There are many challenges in terms of the volume of data or systems, lack of integrations, access, functionality, definition, data elements, correlation and data mapping. While there is still opportunities for improvement the field of data being collected is growing and HIPAA is a regulation that can address the barriers that are present. Being that...
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...HIPAA- How To Avoid Data Breach? How do data breaches occur? • we suspect our information system has been • targeted and patient information exposed. After one a laptop and other portable device is lost or stolen. • We did a rapid assessment to mitigation of damage and is and define scope of the incident we discovered following facts: – – – – data are not encrypted laptop are not protected by password Information of patients are exposed. No log file exist What are consequences of these breaches ? A data security breach can have devastating consequences for healthcare organizations as well as patients or clients What are our strategies to prevent theses breaches • We must be in compliance with the final HIPAA Omnibus Rule through following : – Administrative safeguards – Physical safeguards – Technical safeguards What is HIPAA? • HIPAA: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act • It was passed by Congress in 1996 • broadly applicable to the health care industry • intended to address security for both electronic and physical patient records • standardizing electronic exchange of administrative & financial data in health care system • It includes requirements for: • Transfer and continuation of health insurance coverage • Reducing healthcare fraud and waste – The protection and confidential handling of protected health information (PHI) What is a breach? – A breach is an impermissible use or disclosure that compromises the security or privacy of PHI and poses...
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...the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system reveals a lack of basic policies and standards to protect EHR data from misuse, abuse or theft. The He a l t h I n s u r a n c e P o r t a b i l i t y a n d Accountability Act (HIPAA) require protection of EHR data and basic security guidance to adequately safeguard this data from threats of misuse and/or t h e f t . T h o m a s J . S m e d i n g h o f f q u o t e s H P A A l a w 42 USC Section 1320d-2(d)(2) t h a t establishes three basic security principles “maintain reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguard”. (Smedinghoff, T. (2008)) A r e a s o n a b l e a t t e m p t to provide safeguards and follow excepted standards for security can be found in the HIPAA Security Guidance, National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) documents, and the SANS Institute policies. The security goal is to provide confidentiality, integrity, and availability of EHR i n f o r m a t i o n . (Smedinghoff, T. (2008)) The policies created below are to address weaknesses in the current system and provide direction on how to meet industry standards and legal requirements. A. Create three organizational policy statements: HIPAA suggests a three prone approach; physical security, technical security, and administrative security. This document will cover organizational policies for each of the three categories based on best practices and national standards such as NIST. a. Administrative security: A written...
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...reveals a lack of basic policies and standards to protect EHR data from misuse, abuse or theft. The He a l t h I n s u r a n c e P o r t a b i l i t y a n d Accountability Act (HIPAA) require protection of EHR data and basic security guidance to adequately safeguard this data from threats of misuse and/or t h e f t . T h o m a s J . S m e d i n g h o f f q u o t e s H P A A l a w 42 USC Section 1320d-2(d)(2) t h a t establishes three basic security principles “maintain reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguard”. (Smedinghoff, T. (2008)) A r e a s o n a b l e a t t e m p t to provide safeguards and follow excepted standards for security can be found in the HIPAA Security Guidance, National Institute of Standards and Technologies (NIST) documents, and the SANS Institute policies. The security goal is to provide confidentiality, integrity, and availability of EHR i n f o r m a t i o n . (Smedinghoff, T. (2008)) The policies created below are to address weaknesses in the current system and provide direction on how to meet industry standards and legal requirements. A. Create three organizational policy statements: HIPAA suggests a three prone approach; physical security, technical security, and administrative security. This document will cover organizational policies for each of the three categories based on best practices and national standards such as NIST...
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...Privacy Rules 3 critical areas of HIPAA for a training session of your staff Privacy Rules The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued the Privacy Rule to implement the requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). 1 The Privacy Rule standards address the use and disclosure of individuals’ health information—called “protected health information” by organizations subject to the Privacy Rule — called “covered entities,” as well as standards for individuals' privacy rights to understand and control how their health information is used. A major goal of the Privacy Rule is to assure that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high quality health care and to protect the public's health and well being. Who is Covered by the Privacy Rule The Privacy Rule, as well as all the Administrative Simplification rules, apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and to any health care provider who transmits health information in electronic form in connection with transactions for which the Secretary of HHS has adopted standards under HIPAA Health Plans. Individual and group plans that provide or pay the cost of medical care are covered entities.4 Health plans include health, dental, vision, and prescription drug insurers, health maintenance organizations (“HMOs”), Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare+Choice and Medicare supplement...
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...that governs Protected Health Information (PHI) is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 ("Summary of the,"). HIPAA’s goal is to simplify the administrative processes of the healthcare system and to protect patients’ privacy ("HIPAA compliance,"). The Privacy Rule of HIPAA plays an important role being that it was designed to protect personal information as it travels through the healthcare system. The organizations that must comply with this rule are providers, payers, and healthcare organizations. HIPAA has standards that every organization must comply with including administrative procedures, technical security mechanisms and services and physical safeguards ("HIPAA compliance,"). For example to comply with administrative procedures healthcare organizations must implement policies and procedures in their workforce to ensure security of electronic protected health information to only those who are authorized and prevent those who are not along with performing periodic evaluation of the entity’s security policies and procedures. An example of compliance in the technical security mechanisms and services would be making sure that entity is encrypting or decrypting PHI, using automatic logoffs, using software that records the activity in information systems that use or has PHI. For an organization to comply with the physical safeguards they must implement policies and procedures that will explain how and what to do with removable media and hardware...
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