HIPAA, otherwise known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is developed to provide regulations protecting the security and privacy of certain health information. The existence of HIPAA binds medical practices in Wisconsin and other U.S. states, as well as healthcare professionals, to secure their patient’s health information from deletions, breaches, and other problems.
Areas of Compliance
With HIPAA, three areas are subjected to strict compliance for businesses such as medical practices and medical billing services: administrative, physical, and technical.
In administrative, the measures put in place ensure that patient data is correct and accessible only to authorized parties. Physical safeguards prevent the theft or loss of the physical devices containing electronic data of patient’s health information. The technical compliance, on the other hand, refers to the technology-related measures put in place to protect your electronic devices and networks from unauthorized access and data breaches.
If you are unsure of what to do to comply with HIPAA in these areas, you can ask for help from a reputable medical consulting in Mequon, Wisconsin.
Protected Health Information Under HIPAA
So, how do you know if you need to pay attention to the critical areas of HIPAA Compliance? If your practice handles protected health information (PHI) such as medical billing in Milwaukee, then you must comply with HIPAA. The PHI includes the following:
- Patient’s mental and/or physical condition
- Patient’s name, birth date, address, and Social Security number
- Patient’s plan of care
- Patient’s financial details
HIPAA is for the protection of both the medical practitioner and the patient. If you need consulting services to comply with HIPAA, Acuity Revenue Consulting can help. Be sure to talk to us for comprehensive details on HIPAA compliance.