Compliance Standards

With the passing of the Omnibus Rule, HIPAA came into its present form. Protections from the Privacy and Security Rules are now more stringent. And failure to meet any of the HIPAA rules is now met with greater fines, even when the organization doesn’t realize it broke a rule.

These are trying times for the healthcare industry. Resources across various facilities are being exhausted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and previously unforeseen levels of traffic. But that’s not all: cyberattacks on the healthcare sector rose 150 percent in just the early stages of the pandemic, according to one report. The need for cyberdefense is clear. Now, more than ever before, penalties for HIPAA violations pale in comparison to other threats compliance can assuage.

Organizations both within and adjacent to healthcare need to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). One major component of HIPAA compliance is preventing breaches. However, if one appears to have happened, a breach determination and risk assessment will determine whether you need to follow Breach Notification requirements.