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Understanding Data Regulations

In the healthcare world of new and complex cybersecurity threats, it's vital to have a good understanding of the regulations aimed at protecting patients and organizations.

Following health data regulations can be challenging, making it crucial for groups dealing with healthcare data to have a solid grasp of the rules. In a recent discussion on Healthcare Strategies, the focus was on regulations like HIPAA, the Federal Trade Commission’s Health Breach Notification Rule, and state laws, covering compliance, handling cyber threats, and responding to data breaches.

To navigate these rules effectively, it's important to clear up common misunderstandings. Despite the rule being around since 1996, many don't fully understand HIPAA. Patient misconceptions about HIPAA's universal protection for all health information occur often, while in reality only specific groups fall under HIPAA rules. HIPAA applies to health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers involved in standard transactions, as well their business associates. Still, healthcare providers may be uncertain about when they can share information.

Various state laws and international regulations add complexity to the regulatory landscape. The Federal Trade Commission's role in safeguarding health data is especially seen in the digital health space, because many digital health apps are not covered by HIPAA. 

To handle compliance and respond to breaches, it’s essential to know what HIPAA requires of you, to know what your state requires of you, and to have well-thought-out emergency preparedness and disaster recovery plans. Providers must be regularly reviewing and testing these plans, securing backups, and investing in safeguards. Additionally, providers must place new emphasis in 2024 on consistent, intentional employee training around their role and the HIPAA requirements. Everyone in the organization should understand the regulations, contributing to a more secure healthcare system against cyber threats.

All aspects of the Medcurity HIPAA compliance platform are consistently updated to match current federal regulations for healthcare providers and business associates. You can conduct your Security Risk Analysis with confidence, knowing that our HIPAA compliance experts have built the analysis around the latest requirements. 

Is your current third party assessment meeting regulations and preparing you in case of a HIPAA audit? How do you know? Don’t risk millions of dollars in penalties by not covering the bases of HIPAA documentation requirements. Be prepared to demonstrate compliance in case of an investigation by producing:

  • Most recent enterprise-wide Security Risk Analysis (and sometimes the scheduled date of the next SRA);

  • Risk management plan in effect - your response to and actions taken on the SRA results;

  • Details of policies and procedures in place: to prevent, detect and report malicious software; and to implement mechanisms to record and examine system activity, including audit log and access review;

  • Security event response and reporting policy and procedure (was the procedure followed);

  • Full copy of the report/incident response documentation;

  • And all other requested policies and procedures. 

If you have questions about your regulations regarding data protection, reach out to our team at Medcurity. We’re here to help with HIPAA compliance, so you can focus on providing the best patient care.