The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has been one of the most important pieces of federal legislation in the health care industry. HIPAA has changed the way information of patients is handled, processed and stored and also helps an employee keep their medical coverage even when they switch jobs.

These provisions of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act have far reaching implications both for individuals who have medical coverage and health care providers. HIPAA also dictates standards for privacy and security of protected information of patients.

Health care providers and other organizations that are classified as “covered entities” would be required to comply with all the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

8 Steps To Make Covered Entities HIPAA Compliant

1. It is very important that the confidential information of patients is safeguarded and protected and only authorized people are able to access and view it. If you want to ensure this you would need to move your computers and other storage devices that have this protected information to a secure area where their access will be restricted.

2. Even in a secure area the computer screens would need to be placed in such a way that no one is able to see the information that is displayed on the screen and misuse it.

3. All the programs and files that contain the confidential information would need to be password protected and it would be advisable to change the passwords at regular intervals.

4. A log should be maintained that will list all the files that contain information about patients. The log should also contain information as to how had accessed the information. Date and purpose of accessing the information should also be mentioned.

5. Only users who will have access should be provided with user names and passwords so that they can gain access to it. The employees should remember to close the programs and other relevant information when they are not at their desk. This will help prevent any sort of misuse.

6. Additional security can be provided to the computers and programs if you fear any unauthorized access. All the files and records need to be checked so that any violation is detected immediately.

7. All employees who will be handling the protected information should be provided with suitable training programs so that they are aware of the various rules and procedures that govern Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

8. There are various additional changes that place in the rules and regulations and it is the responsibility of the health care provider to keep their employees updated on the recent changes that have taken place in HIPAA.

Health care providers and other organizations specified by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act as covered entities would be able to keep their organizations HIPAA compliant by following all the rules and regulations. They would also be able to avoid stringent penalties for violations. There is also the danger of losing their business license if they are found to be violating the rules repeatedly.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA website.

For more information, please visit our HIPAA website http://www.hipaaexams.com

Author Bio: For more information, please visit our HIPAA website.

Category: Medical Business
Keywords: Health care providers ,medical coverage ,health care industry,Health Insurance ,HIPAA Compliant