Navigating the complexities of HIPAA compliance takes work, especially for healthcare providers and their vendors. Because of the vague nature of the law and the fact that HIPAA compliance is an all-or-nothing endeavor, too many organizations depend on hope more than knowledge.
The first step is finding sources with reliable and trusted information. We found four trusted HIPAA Compliance Resources Online that can help.
HIPAA Compliance Resources Online: HHS.gov
The federal agency responsible for enforcing HIPAA Rules and Regulations is obviously one of the first places to look for information about HIPAA Compliance. Mixed in with the thousands of pages of regulations on the site are several tools that can assist you in understanding the basics of HIPAA.
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Privacy and Security Listservs are two of these tools (OCR-PRIVACY-LIST and OCR-SECURITY-LIST). These two announcement-only resources are excellent sources for learning more about the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the HIPAA Security Rule.
A complete archive of previous responses is available, and subscribers to the listservs receive updates about health information privacy and security FAQs, guidance, and technical assistance materials.
HIPAA Compliance Resources Online: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
CMS requires healthcare providers who serve Medicare and Medicaid patients to meet HIPAA standards when handling patients’ protected health information (PHI). The agency has a very informative booklet HIPAA Basics for Providers: HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules – PDF that gives an overview of HIPAA compliance and links to further information.
HIPAA Compliance Resources Online: HealthIT.gov
HealthIT.gov is the official website of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. With assistance from HHS agencies, including OCR, they have assembled a wide range of tools, HIPAA training resources, and other reference materials on their Health IT Privacy and Security Resources for Providers page.
There you can find links to help you with performing a HIPAA Security Risk Assessment, find verified Electronic Health Record products, get help understanding the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule and your responsibilities, and even find sample Business Associate Agreements for vendors who may take possession of PHI.
HIPAA Compliance Resources Online: Compliancy Group
If you’d rather not spend your time crawling through websites and reading regulations, Compliancy Group helps you become fully HIPAA compliant with less time and headaches. Using our automated compliance solution, “The Guard™,” our compliance coaches walk with you through the process of becoming HIPAA compliant, teaching you how to use the software to your best advantage.
While doing so, you will understand precisely how your organization becomes HIPAA compliant and be able to stay on top of annual requirements like employee training. In case of a possible breach, simply contact our Breach Response team for guidance and support.
Compliance Group also monitors changes to HIPAA regulations and keeps you up-to-date, so your organization is never surprised.
