HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, is a federal law that regulates the use and disclosure of sensitive health information by healthcare providers and other covered entities. Compliance with HIPAA is crucial for healthcare practices to protect patient privacy and avoid costly penalties for noncompliance. However, with the ever-increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, maintaining HIPAA compliance has become even more challenging for healthcare practices.
At Digital Boardwalk, we understand the challenges healthcare practices face in maintaining HIPAA compliance. That's why we offer a range of services to help practices stay compliant with 24/7 security monitoring and preventative maintenance, as well as HIPAA risk assessments with comprehensive reports that practices can provide to their compliance officer and auditors. Our services are designed to save practices time and money while providing the expertise and support needed to maintain HIPAA compliance.
However, it's important for healthcare practices to understand the limitations of their IT service providers when it comes to HIPAA compliance. While IT service providers can assist with HIPAA compliance, there are certain aspects that they cannot handle on their own. In this blog post, we will discuss the limitations of IT service providers in assisting with HIPAA compliance, as well as the importance of independent third-party assessors for compliance audits.
HIPAA Compliance for Healthcare Practices
HIPAA regulations establish requirements for the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI) by covered entities such as healthcare providers, insurance companies, and business associates. Compliance with HIPAA is essential to protect patient privacy and to avoid penalties for noncompliance, which can be severe and include both civil and criminal penalties.
To comply with HIPAA, healthcare practices must establish administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect PHI. These safeguards include but are not limited to:
- Policies and procedures for accessing, using, and disclosing PHI
- Physical safeguards such as access controls and facility security
- Technical safeguards such as encryption and access controls to electronic PHI
- Training of workforce members on HIPAA policies and procedures
HIPAA compliance is not only essential for protecting patient privacy but also for avoiding costly penalties. Penalties for noncompliance can range from $100 to $50,000 per violation and up to $1.5 million per year for repeated violations.
The Limitations of IT Service Providers
While IT service providers can assist with the technology aspects of HIPAA compliance, there are certain aspects that they cannot handle. For example, IT service providers cannot audit healthcare practices for compliance. Instead, healthcare practices must rely on independent third-party assessors for compliance audits.
Additionally, HIPAA requires numerous physical and operational safeguards that the practice is still responsible for implementing and maintaining. IT service providers can only assist with the technology aspects of HIPAA compliance, and healthcare practices must work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that all necessary safeguards are in place and being properly maintained.
The Importance of Independent Third-Party Assessors
As previously mentioned, healthcare practices cannot rely solely on their IT service provider to audit them for HIPAA compliance. Instead, they must work with independent third-party assessors for compliance audits.
These third-party assessors can provide an unbiased evaluation of the practice's compliance with HIPAA regulations, ensuring that all necessary safeguards are in place and being properly maintained. This independent evaluation helps to ensure that the practice is complying with all applicable laws and regulations and is protecting patient privacy to the fullest extent possible.
I.T. service providers can assist with HIPAA risk assessments to ensure that the practice is doing everything they're supposed to for their compliance requirements. They can help the practice implement the required technology controls and safeguards needed for compliance. However, I.T. service providers cannot be the ones to audit the practice for compliance. It is strongly recommended that healthcare practices work with independent third-party assessors to ensure that they are fully compliant with HIPAA regulations.
The Role of Preventative Maintenance in Ongoing Security Patching for HIPAA Compliance
Ongoing security patching is a crucial component of HIPAA compliance. It's essential to ensure that all systems and applications are up to date with the latest security patches to protect against known vulnerabilities. However, paying a service provider as-needed for this type of work (break-fix) is not sufficient for HIPAA compliance. It's extremely difficult to do this effectively or consistently with in-house staff, as this requires a significant amount of time and resources. That's why at Digital Boardwalk, we provide preventative maintenance services to ensure that healthcare practices are up-to-date with the latest security patches and updates. By proactively monitoring and maintaining the practice's IT infrastructure, we help practices reduce the risk of
How Digital Boardwalk Helps Your Practice Stay HIPAA Compliant
Digital Boardwalk comprehends the difficulties that healthcare practices confront when it comes to adhering to HIPAA regulations. To assist such practices in meeting HIPAA and other government mandates, our team of specialists offers a variety of services. These services consist of:
24/7 Security Monitoring
Digital Boardwalk provides 24/7 security monitoring to detect and respond to security incidents that could compromise the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of patient data. Our team of experts uses advanced tools and technologies to monitor the practice's network, systems, and applications for any suspicious activity that could indicate a security breach. Our security monitoring services help practices quickly identify and mitigate security incidents, reducing the risk of data breaches and aids in ensuring compliance with HIPAA's technical safeguards.
Preventative Maintenance
Digital Boardwalk provides preventative maintenance services to ensure that the practice's IT infrastructure is secure, stable, and up to date. Our team of experts performs regular maintenance tasks such as software updates, patch management, and system backups to prevent downtime and ensure that the practice's data is protected. Our preventative maintenance services help practices maintain compliance with HIPAA's physical and technical safeguards.
HIPAA Risk Assessments
Digital Boardwalk provides HIPAA risk assessments to identify and mitigate potential risks to the practice's PHI. Our team of experts conducts a comprehensive review of the practice's IT infrastructure, policies, and procedures to identify potential vulnerabilities and areas of noncompliance. We provide a detailed report with actionable recommendations for addressing identified risks and ensuring compliance with HIPAA's administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.
Comprehensive Reports
Digital Boardwalk provides comprehensive reports to help practices demonstrate compliance with HIPAA and other government mandates. Our reports provide detailed information on the practice's security posture, including vulnerabilities, threats, and remediation recommendations. The reports can be used to demonstrate compliance to auditors and compliance officers and to identify areas for improvement in the practice's IT security posture.
Expertise and Support
At Digital Boardwalk, we have a team of experts with extensive experience in HIPAA compliance and IT security. Our team provides the expertise and support needed to help practices maintain compliance with HIPAA and other government mandates. We work closely with practices to understand their unique needs and develop customized solutions that meet their specific compliance requirements.
Our services include ongoing support and maintenance, ensuring that practices stay up to date with the latest security threats and compliance requirements. Our team provides timely and effective support, reducing the risk of downtime and data breaches that can result from IT security incidents.
Conclusion
HIPAA compliance is a critical aspect of healthcare practices that cannot be overlooked. Noncompliance with HIPAA can result in severe penalties and damage to a practice's reputation. At Digital Boardwalk, we understand the importance of HIPAA compliance and provide a range of services to help healthcare practices maintain compliance with 24/7 security monitoring and preventative maintenance, as well as HIPAA risk assessments with comprehensive reports.
However, it's important to note that IT service providers can only assist with the technology aspects of HIPAA compliance, and healthcare practices must work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that all necessary safeguards are in place and being properly maintained. Furthermore, it's essential that healthcare practices work with independent third-party assessors to ensure that they are fully compliant with HIPAA regulations.
Contact Digital Boardwalk today to learn more about how our services can help your healthcare practice maintain HIPAA compliance and protect patient privacy.
