HIPAA Compliance Checklist 2021

As of now, your HIPAA checklist for 2021 looks much the same as years prior. Although there are no confirmed changes to HIPAA, there are several proposed changes that may come into effect soon.

What is the 2021 HIPAA Checklist?

The 2021 HIPAA checklist consists of several questions in which an organization working in healthcare can use to assess their overall HIPAA compliance. 

• Have you completed all of your annual self-audits?
• Have you identified gaps in your compliance based on findings from your self-audits?
• Have you created remediation plans to address these gaps?
• Have all employees received their annual HIPAA training?
• Do you have policies and procedures in accordance with HIPAA requirements?
• Do you have signed business associate agreements with all of your business associates?
• Do you have a process for identifying, tracking, and reporting breaches? 

How to Use the Checklist to Help with Your Compliance

By utilizing the HIPAA compliance checklist 2021, you can assess your current HIPAA practices against HIPAA standards. The purpose of the 2021 HIPAA checklist is to give you a basic understanding of whether or not you are meeting HIPAA requirements. However, the checklist is not meant to confirm or verify your compliance program. To do so, you should speak with a HIPAA expert, such as Compliancy Group. We will walk you through the checklist to help you understand where your compliance program is lacking, and help you implement an effective HIPAA compliance program in accordance with the law. When working with us, you will never have to go at it alone, we will be there every step of the way to make sure that you have HIPAA compliance covered!

Proposed HIPAA Changes

Although there are no current changes to the HIPAA compliance checklist 2021, it is highly likely that it will change in the near future. This is because there are several proposed changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule that may come into effect soon. 

These changes may include:

• Reducing identity verification burdens
• Improving information sharing
• Expansion of permitted PHI disclosures
• Reducing administrative burdens
• Updating Notice of Privacy Practices requirements

For more information on proposed Privacy Rule changes, please click here.

Cybersecurity as a Priority

In addition to potential changes to the Privacy Rule, there has also been a push to update HIPAA cybersecurity requirements. As of January 2021, a bill known as HR 7898, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to incentivize healthcare organizations to implement cybersecurity practices. In essence, if an organization is subject to a HIPAA audit, and they can prove that they had implemented a recognized cybersecurity framework, instead of being fined, they would be given technical assistance from the HHS.

For more information on the new cybersecurity bill, please click here.