...HIPAA Privacy – Safe Guarding and Securing Patient Data HIPAA Privacy – Safe Guarding and Securing Patient Data Robert N. Reges DeVry University/ HSM 410 Professor Anthony LaBonte 12 December 2010 Abstract According to section 1.07 of the APA Publication Manual [ (Ame01) ], “An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the article; it allows readers to survey the contents of an article quickly, and like a title, it enables abstracting and information services to index and retrieve articles” (p. 12). . HIPAA Privacy – Safe Guarding and Securing Patient Data It has been said time and time again that life was much less complicated at the turn of the 20th Century and this saying could not be truer when it comes to medicine. At the turn of the 1900’s there was a personal bond between the provider and the patient, between the provider and the community, and between citizens in the community. In small towns across the nation there was less of a sense of privacy & individualism and more emphasis on helping your neighbor; because of this medical privacy was not a concern. You cannot help your neighbor if you are not aware of their issues. If we fast forward to the year 2010 times have changed significantly; with the advent of technology the American culture has changed. Personal information is no longer just stored on paper in the doctor’s office, patient information is stored in vast computer banks and sold like stocks and bonds on...
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...ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA) Abstract This paper will explain what HIPAA is, a brief history and background of it; why it is so important, what are the rules, who is protected, who needs to follow the rules and who does not, who can see the patent information, and what kind of right the patent has. In general, this paper will cover and the importance of HIPAA, and the impacts that have on consumers and providers. This paper examines Mark A. Rothstein (2013) The Federal Register published the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) omnibus amendments to the Health Insurance Portability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification Keywords: HIPAA privacy and security of health care records. THE HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (HIPAA) Understanding HIPAA What is HIPAA? Department of health defined HIPAA as the federal Health insurance portability and accountability act. The objective is to make it easier for people to keep health insurance, protect the confidentiality and security of healthcare information and help the health care industry control administrative cost. HIPAA is written in 1996, enacted in April 14, 2001 and mandated in April 15, 2003. HIPAA is composed of two main rules; The HIPAA privacy rule and The HIPAA security rule. The HIPAA privacy rule provides for the privacy of individual’s personally identifiable health information, as U.S department of...
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...special interests that influence politicians rather than society as a whole (Austin & Boxerman, 2008). Discuss the impacts of breach to Healthcare Information systems, especially the financial and privacy impacts. Some of the most devastating security breaches can occur during employee termination when steps are not taken to remove access to resources in a timely manner. HIPAA guidelines specify that when employees are terminated, that certain steps, at a minimum, must be followed. These include changing locks, removal from access lists, removal of user account, and confiscation of keys, tokens and other access cards. Though these steps may seem to be common sense, some organizations may not have documented procedures to follow when an employee is terminated. Additionally, the responsibility for carrying out the termination procedures must be clearly assigned and documented (SANS Institute, 2001). Security Training In order for a security program to work well, the employees must be educated insecurity practices such as password protection, monitoring login failures and other basic practices. A well-educated workforce can become an extension of the security group of any organization through simple awareness. The HIPAA regulations require a Security Awareness training program that includes: awareness training for all personnel, security reminders to the workforce, virus...
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...4 Analysis and Comparison of GLBA and HIPAA 1. Which US government agency acts as the legal enforcement entity for businesses and organizations involved in commerce? a. The FTC Its principal mission is the promotion of consumer protection and the elimination and prevention of anticompetitive business practices, such as coercive monopoly 2. Which US government agency acts as the legal enforcement entity regarding HIPAA compliance and HIPAA violations? b. The “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009”(ARRA), established a tiered civil penalty structure for HIPAA violations 3. List three (3) similarities between GLBA and HIPAA. c. Both require technical safeguards to protect or guarantee the veracity of critical information. d. GLBA protects personal financial information of an organization's customers. And HIPAA protects and guarantees the privacy of an individual's Personal Health Information (PHI). e. Both have a requirement for specific IT controls. 4. List five (5) examples of privacy data elements for GLBA as defined in the privacy rule. f. Name, Address, City State Zip, Account Number, and Social Security Number are five examples of privacy data elements for GLBA as defined in the privacy rule. 5. List five (5) examples of privacy data elements for HIPAA as defined in the privacy rule. g. Name, Address, City State Zip, Ailments/Conditions, and Social Security Number are five examples of privacy data...
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...Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Following the background will be details about issues that are address within the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The purpose of this paper is to provide a foundation with providing some information about HIPAA. Background The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted by Congress in 1996 in response to several issues facing health care coverage, privacy, security and fraud in the United States (ALL THINGS MEDICAL BILLING, 2011, para. 2). Before HIPAA, rules and regulations varied by state, there was no real consistency. Also, there was confusion as to which regulations were applicable and to whom. Did the rules apply in the states where the organization was doing business or where the organization was based? There was also no uniformity between state and federal requirements (ALL THINGS MEDICAL BILLING, 2011, para. 3). With regard to privacy, there were numerous uncoordinated federal acts which addressed privacy in some form. Prior to HIPAA, there was no standard authority for enforcement of fraud and abuse that applied to state and federal health care programs (ALL THINGS MEDICAL BILLING, 2011, para. 4). Congress recognized the increased use of electronic technology, the potential for abuse and the need to establish security. We all have heard news stories about electronic information being lost, stolen, or inadvertently sent to the...
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...Database Security Challenges with Regards to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Paul T. MacDonald University of Maryland University College DBST670 Fall 2013 Professor Jon McKeeby Abstract With the expansion of healthcare administration now further into more levels of federal and state governments, the amount of sensitive patient data has increased incrementally This data is moved from within and without of all stages of the healthcare process. From an office visit to the doctor, to the medications filled at the local pharmacy, to the bills handled by multiple insurance agencies, delicate patient information is being viewed, handled and passed along. The list of individuals who access the confidential information can include office staff, laboratory personnel, nurses, doctors, insurance agents, case managers and many more. The Health/Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was created to safeguard patients’ medical data security and privacy. HIPAA incorporates requirements that allow for a comprehensive review that will show anyone who has looked at confidential medical patient information. HIPAA is structured to provide a complete security access and auditing for Oracle database information. This framework designates data access points such as User Access Control, System Administration, Object Access and Data Changes that should be monitored and controlled. An accurate HIPAA compliant security execution assures...
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...HIPAA COW Risk Analysis & Risk Management Toolkit Networking Group Guide for the HIPAA COW Risk Analysis & Risk Management Toolkit Disclaimers This Guide and the HIPAA COW Risk Analysis & Risk Management Toolkit (Toolkit) documents are Copyright by the HIPAA Collaborative of Wisconsin (“HIPAA COW”). They may be freely redistributed in their entirety provided that this copyright notice is not removed. When information from this document is used, HIPAA COW shall be referenced as a resource. They may not be sold for profit or used in commercial documents without the written permission of the copyright holder. This Guide and the Toolkit documents are provided “as is” without any express or implied warranty. This Guide and the Toolkit documents are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. If you require legal advice, you should consult with an attorney. Unless otherwise noted, HIPAA COW has not addressed all state pre-emption issues related to this Guide and the Toolkit documents. Therefore, these documents may need to be modified in order to comply with Wisconsin/State law. The Toolkit provides an example HIPAA Security Risk Assessment and documents to support completing a Risk Analysis and Risk Mitigation Implementation Plan. While it covers a broad spectrum of the requirements under the HIPAA Security Rule and HITECH, it may not cover all measures needed to secure your patients’ electronic protected health information (ePHI). It...
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...Topic Paper #1: HIPAA - How the Security Rule Supports the Privacy Rule INTRODUCTION: HIPAA privacy rule: The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. The Rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal health information, and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures that may be made of such information without patient authorization. The Rule also gives patients rights over their health information, including rights to examine and obtain a copy of their health records, and to request corrections. (HHS, 2003) HIPAA security rule: The HIPAA Security Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ electronic personal health information that is created, received, used, or maintained by a covered entity. The Security Rule requires appropriate administrative, physical and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic protected health information. (HHS, 2003) Typically ePHI is stored in: • Computer hard drives • Magnetic tapes, disks, memory cards • Any kind of removable/transportable digital memory media • All transmission media used to exchange information such as the Internet, leased lines, dial-up, intranets, and private...
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...Comparison of GLBA and HIPAA 1. Which US government agency acts as the legal enforcement entity for businesses and organizations involved in commerce? The Federal Trade Commission. 2. Which US government agency acts as the legal enforcement entity regarding HIPPA compliance and HIPPA violations? Office of Civil Rights(OCR) under the Department of Health and Human Services 3. List three (3) similarities between GLBA and HIPAA. 1. Safeguards Rules to protect customer information and consumer personal information. Security Rules 2. Protection of Privacy Rules from third party data sharing. 3. Protection of Financial Privacy Rules 4. List five (5) examples of privacy data elements for GLBA as defined in the privacy rule. 1.Safeguard Rules- protect customer information 2. Pretexting- protect consumers from individuals and companies that obtain their personal financial information under false pretenses. 3. Financial Privacy rules-governs the collection and disclosure of customers personal financial information by financial institutions. 4. Protection against credit reporting agencies 5. Protection from financial institutions that collect information from their own customers. 5. List five (5) examples of privacy data elements for HIPAA as defined in the privacy rule. a. Protection of Electronic Protected Health Information b. Covered entities must put in place secure electronic protection of health information. c. .claims and benefits ...
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...Statements 2 Internationally security techniques and standards, such as ISO 17799, establish guidelines that organizations must implement in order to maintain information security. Information must be protected from those without a readily need to know to perform organizational business functions. Unauthorized access to information can have a detrimental impact on an organization from a legal and operating perspective. One of the primary preventive controls that provide an organization with many operational benefits is continuous log management policies. In addition to helping solve network security related issues, logs can be extremely beneficial in identifying unauthorized access and behaviors. Security logs assist in identifying policy violators, fraudulent behavior, real time operational problems, and provide necessary data to perform auditing, transaction back tracking and forensic analysis. In addition to the many benefits of having policies in place for continuous log analysis, standards and regulations have increased business awareness of the requirements for archiving and reviewing system logs as part of daily continuity. Some of the influential regulations that reference log management and other information security task include the following. • Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) requires entities to ensure the development and execution of organizational processes and internal controls designed to secure information systems. Health Insurance...
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...Guide US Department of Health and Human Services Information Security Program Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance Guide September 14, 2005 Page i Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Compliance Guide US Department of Health and Human Services Table of Contents Table of Contents .......................................................................................... i Preface.........................................................................................................iii Document Change History ............................................................................iv 1. Introduction ....................................................................................... 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2. 2.1 Purpose ........................................................................................... 1 Background...................................................................................... 1 Scope.............................................................................................. 2 Document Organization ..................................................................... 4 HIPAA Administrative Simplification Requirements ........................... 5 General Overview ............................................................................. 5 2.1.1 HIPAA Administrative Simplification Goals and Objectives ............. 5 2.1.2 HIPAA Definitions ..........................................
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...The history of HIPAA began August 21, 1996. Congress enacted the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). It required the HHS or (Health and Human Services) recommend standards protecting the privacy of individuals health information by August 21, 1997. With HIPPA coming into law in 1996 it came with a promise and sweeping changes in the management and operation of security for healthcare organizations. The main purpose of HIPAA was to mandate healthcare information and enable it to be uniform my utilizing electronic transactions. Since the primary purpose of HIPAA was to allow healthcare to become portable (meaning a patient can have access to their medical records anywhere and anyplace at anytime) with the utilization of electronic medical records. In order for this to take place medical records have to be protected better than it once was. It is also necessary to protect the same information with rules of how the information would be secured and safeguarded. HIPAA rules are separated into four sections; administrative safeguards, physical safeguards, security services and security mechanisms. Administrative safeguards handle those policies, procedures, and practices that are used by an entity to handle protected health information. This is handled by policies and procedures that are used in the normal day to day operation of any practice. Physical safeguards are security measures to handle physical access to any data in the facility. Meaning...
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...requirements of HIPAA? • Electronic transactions and code sets standards requirements • Privacy requirements • Security requirements • National identifier requirements 2. Name 3 factors used to determine whether you need to comply with HIPAA. a. Whether the health plan is self-insured or fully insured b. Whether the plan sponsor receives PHI or SHI c. How the plan sponsor utilizes SHI. 3. What are the three categories of entities affected by HIPAA Medical Privacy Regulations? • Health Care Providers: Any provider of medical or other health services, or supplies, who transmits any health information in electronic form in connection with a transaction for which standard requirements have been adopted. • Health Plans: Any individual or group plan that provides or pays the cost of health care. • Health Care Clearinghouses: A public or private entity that transforms health care transactions from one format to another. 4. What would Business Associates of covered entities consist of as it pertains to HIPAA’s regulation? HIPAA defines a business associate as an individual or corporate "person" that: • performs on behalf of the covered entity any function or activity involving the use or disclosure of protected health information (PHI); and • is not a member of the covered entity's workforce. 5. Who is covered by the Privacy Rule in HIPAA? Give some examples. • Health care providers who transmit any health information electronically in...
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...Act, HIPAA. For the purpose of the exercise, this document will examine a typical visit to the doctor’s office. The focus will be to identify the various organizational, administrative, physical and technical safeguards that a doctor’s office should have in place to protect protected health information (PHI) as well as provide guidance in needed areas for compliance. In particular, the paper’s focus pinpoints the ePHI although all health information, written and oral should be addressed with HIPAA. The importance of protecting the confidentiality of patient information requires a synergy of effort from IT, management and staff. Purpose The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed by Congress in 1996 and deals with security of healthcare information (HIPAA Administrative Simplification Statute and Rules, n.d.). The HIPAA regulations apply to health care providers who transmit any health information electronically, health plans (including Medicare and Medicaid programs), health care clearinghouses and healthcare business associates (Unknown, 2013). HIPAA defines a health care provider as a provider of medical or health services or any other person or organization who furnishes, bills, or is paid for health care in the normal course of business (Unknown, 2013). The intention is to protect the individual’s privacy and confidentiality throughout the gathering, transmitting and storing of healthcare information. The various components of HIPAA cover...
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...Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act “HIPAA” Cheryl Pierce Murray State University HCA405 November 19, 2014 When you walk into a doctor’s office or other medical facility, you have the assumption and expectation that things discussed between you and your healthcare provider will remain confidential. You might even sign papers that contain information about how you wish for your information to be disclosed. What you might not know is that this is a result of a large and broad federal law that hasn’t always been present. In the past, patients were unable to have a clear understanding of what can and cannot be discussed after consultation with medical professionals. This led to withholding important information, which could hinder their treatment and recovery. Medical records were not always kept confidential prior to HIPAA being enacted and enforced, and with the rules now in place, patients now have an understanding that their health information will remain private. American society places a high value on individual rights, personal choice, and a private sphere protected from intrusion. Medical records can include some of the most intimate details about a person’s life. They document a patient’s physical and mental health, and can include information on social behaviors, personal relationships, and financial status (Gostin and Hodge, 2002). The shift of medical records from paper to electronic formats has increased the potential for individuals to access...
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