HIPAA Conference Tip: Ensure Security Rule Compliance

The Privacy Rule, or Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information are those established standards which protect certain health information. On the other hand the Security Rules protect certain health information that is held or transferred in electronic form.

The Security Rule operationalizes the protections contained in the Privacy Rule by addressing the technical and non-technical safeguards that organizations called “covered entities” must put in place to secure individuals’ “electronic protected health information” (e-PHI).

The Security Rule does not particularly disallow the use of email for sending e-PHI. Nevertheless, the standards for access control, integrity and transmission security necessitate covered entities to implement policies and procedures to limit access to, safeguard the integrity of, and protect against the unauthorized access to electronic protected health information sent and received over email communications.

Overcome your compliance challenges with health system conference or training events
The transmission security standard has been updated to implement the use of encryption. This implies that each covered entity must evaluate its use of open networks, recognize the available and proper means to protect electronic PHI as it is transmitted, choose a solution, and further document the decision. The Security Rule permits for electronic PHI to be sent over an electronic open network provided that it is sufficiently protected. An end number of HIPAA conferences are available online that give tips and strategies to ensure HIPAA compliance and security standards.

The HITECH Act went into effect in 2010, amending the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. One of the most prominent changes is in the penalties for a violation of patient information as a breach of patients’ rights under HIPAA. When HIPAA was initially passed, the maximum penalty for a HIPAA violation was $250,000. Now, the maximum penalty is $1.5 million. As per the standards, fines in addition to criminal penalties can be imposed as well on the violating institution and the individuals who are involved.


The above information on the HIPAA Security Rules is brought to you by AudioEducator: the country’s leading healthcare training provider through a wide range of HIPAA conference and health system conference.