The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets the standard for sensitive patient data protection. Companies that deal with protected health information (PHI) must have process security measures in place and follow them to ensure HIPAA Compliance.

As healthcare data is becoming more accessible through electronic means, the risks posed to its security have grown exponentially. To ensure this sensitive information remains protected, HIPAA compliance must be taken seriously - now more than ever before. Health plans are embracing technology by providing access to claims and other helpful applications; however, they also need to guarantee these advancements won't compromise patient privacy or safety in any way.

Four Main HIPAA Rules and How Do They Impact Compliance?

Four primary rules define the structure and meaning of everything related to compliance requirements:

1. The Privacy Rule:

Establishes the national standard for patients’ rights to privacy and private information. It sets up the framework that dictates what ePHI is, how it must be protected, how it can and cannot be used, and how it can be transmitted and stored. In this rule, ePHI is defined as any identifiable patient data being subject to privacy covered by the covered entity or any business associated. This is what is called “protected health information” and includes:

1. Any past, present, or future documentation on physical or mental conditions

2. Any records about the care of the patient

3. And records referencing past, present, or future payments for healthcare.

2. The Security Rule:

Established the national standards for the mechanisms required to protect ePHI data. These mechanisms extend across the entire operation of the covered entity, including technology, administration, physical safeguards for computers and devices, and anything that could impact the safety of ePHI.