As 2019 draws to a close, companies that are looking to start providing products and services to the healthcare industry will be considering how they can become HIPAA-compliant in 2020. Forward-thinking business associates already serving the healthcare sector are thinking about how they can maintain compliance in 2020, build their portfolio of healthcare clients, and grow their businesses.
Resources have been made available to help prospective HIPAA business associates achieve HIPAA compliant status and establish and maintain an effective HIPAA compliance program. One of the best resources was published by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). The document – The Seven Fundamental Elements of an Effective Compliance Program – is a powerful tool that serves as a guide for healthcare organizations and business associates to help them develop an effective compliance program, meet all HIPAA requirements, and avoid financial penalties from the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights and state attorneys general.
The document outlines the infrastructure, policies, and procedures that are required and serves as a good base on which to build. Once the fundamentals are established, covered entities and business associates can work through each of the implementation standards of HIPAA to ensure they are fully compliant.
HIPAA compliance is mandatory for all healthcare organizations that conduct healthcare transactions electronically, and also for any vendor that provides products or services to HIPAA-covered entities that requires them to come into contact with protected health information.
Becoming HIPAA compliant also has other important benefits, such as improving security to prevent costly data breaches and protecting an organization’s reputation. Achieving HIPAA-compliant status also helps businesses differentiate their services from the competition and attract new clients from all industry sectors. It shows that you have policies and procedures in place to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of any data provided to your company and that you are fully committed to privacy and security.
On Thursday December 12, 2019, HIPAA Journal sponsor, Compliancy Group, will be hosting a webinar to explain the importance of HIPAA compliance, how to ensure that all requirements of HIPAA are met and survive a HIPAA audit, and how to start leveraging the true benefits of HIPAA in 2020 and start using HIPAA compliance to help you grow your business.
Webinar Details:
Date: December 17, 2019
Time: 2:00 PM ET
Click Here to Register for the Webinar
The post Webinar: 12/17/19: How to Become HIPAA Compliant in 2020 appeared first on HIPAA Journal.