HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a complex piece of legislation that can affect every aspect of your business or clinic. Because it is both an incredibly broad yet vague law, it can feel like a challenge to know where to begin. That is why we broke down HIPAA compliance into its most basic steps.

The posts our HIPAA blog will contain everything you need to know about HIPAA and its constantly changing parts. Whether you are a privacy officer trying to bring your organization into compliance or are a nurse seeking advice, Accountable will provide you the answers.

HIPAA
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HIPAA
July 27, 2021
How to be HIPAA Certified
We get a lot of questions about HIPAA Certification. Here are your answers.
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
Requirements to be HIPAA Compliant
HIPAA is a complex law with plenty of moving parts. Here we broke down the requirements for compliance.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Technical Safeguards of the Security Rule
Technical Safeguards can often be the most challenging regulation to understand and implement because it is a mix of addressable and required. We'll help explain both here.
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
Physical Safeguards of the Security Rule
In Part two of our series, we'll take a deep dive and examine physical safeguards of the Security rule.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Administrative Safeguards of the Security Rule
In this three part series, we'll take time to examine each of the Security Rule safeguards. In this post, we will look at a detailed look at the different types of administrative safeguards the HHS requires in order to comply with HIPAA.
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
HIPAA vs PCI
PCI DSS and HIPAA both aim to secure entirely different types of information while attempting to meet a similar need: data security.
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
Unintentional HIPAA Violations
You can have the proper policies and procedures in place, but all it takes is a little mistake and Bam! You've violated HIPAA. Here are a few violations.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Communication Platforms and HIPAA Compliance
In this blog, we’ll walk through 4 of the most popular business communication platforms on the market and how they can be used in a HIPAA-compliant manner.
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
The 18 PHI Identifiers
HIPAA has laid out a precise list of 18 different forms of protected health information. Below we will outline each different type and give examples of each so that you can have a better understanding of what exactly qualifies as PHI and what you can expect your healthcare provider to be doing with this information.
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
How to file a HIPAA Complaint with the OCR
What do you do when you believe that an individual or a company is potentially violating HIPAA? The answer is you file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights.
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
What to Expect during an OCR Audit
All those who work in and around HIPAA know that they are taught to fear an OCR audit and avoid it at all costs. But what happens during an audit of your HIPAA compliance?
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
What is your Risk of a HIPAA Audit? 
The risks of HIPAA audits vary dramatically from organization to organization depending on health data you store, what other organizations you work with, and what steps you have taken to guard this information.
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
What is ePHI? Electronic Protected Health Information
When PHI is found in an electronic form, like a computer or a digital file, it is called electronic Protected Health Information or ePHI.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Addressable vs. Required Implementation Standards
Within the HIPAA Security Rule, there are a series of safeguards and standards that all organizations under HIPAA must adhere to. However, HIPAA allows for ambiguity when it comes to adhering to those. Why? Read on to find out.
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
The Minimum Necessary Standard
The Minimum Necessary Standard is a requirement that covered entities take all reasonable steps to see to it that protected health information (PHI) is only accessed to the minimum amount necessary to complete the tasks at hand.
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
Examples of Phishing Scams
Phishing is a very common method for bad-actors to compromise your data. Here are several examples of common phishing emails to watch out for.
HIPAA
July 13, 2021
What are the Differences Between HITECH and HiTrust
HiTrust vs HITECH. HITECH vs HiTrust? Both oversee information security in the healthcare space. But which is which, and which one must you comply with?
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
Everything Startups Should Know About HIPAA
There are a lot of things startups should know when it comes to them approaching their HIPAA. But don’t let HIPAA become a roadblock to your success. Here you'll learn the basic steps to comply with the act.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
What to know about HIPAA as Practice Manager
Overseeing HIPAA compliance as a practice manager can feel like a daunting task. In this post, Accountable breaks down what you need to do to be compliant.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Breaking Down Physical Safeguards of the Security Rule
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
Proposed Changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
Creating a Contingency Plan for HIPAA Compliance
Due to the value of the PHI that these Covered Entities and their business Associates use, store and transmit, it is critical that each organization have contingency plans in the event of a emergency.
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
HIPAA Compliant Text Messaging
Text messaging can be HIPAA compliant, it all depends on what information is sent, what consent has been given, and what encryption is used over that information. Read on to learn how you can use a common form of communication without committing a HIPAA violation.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Breaking down Technical Safeguards of the Security Rule
HIPAA Technical Safeguards are designed to help reduce the risks to your organization and the information you store or transmit. Read on to learn more about how these can help your organization safeguard PHI.
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
The OCR’s Dedication to the Right of Access Initiative
Anyone that keeps an eye on the HIPAA violation settlements would be able to see the clear trend over the past year - the Right of Access Initiative. Here, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about component of HIPAA and how the OCR has been following through on that in 2019 and 2020. 
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
Risks of Improper Employee Offboarding
Dismissing Employees can lead to risks. If companies don’t mitigate some of these risks to data during offboarding, then the company may face a much more significant challenge down the road.
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
Do Accountants Need to be HIPAA Compliant? 
The accounting industry is subject to changes in privacy rules and regulations and one of those key laws to pay attention to is HIPAA. But how does HIPAA apply to accountants?
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
What You Need to Know About Healthcare Marketing & HIPAA
There are many do's and don'ts when it comes to marketing healthcare services yet complying with HIPAA. Learn about the challenges (and solutions) here!
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
HIPAA Compliant Hosting Best Practices
HIPAA and Web Hosting. Web Hosting and HIPAA. Is your head spinning already? We’ll clear up your questions and concerns here.
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
HIPAA Training for Human Resources
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
HIPAA Compliance for Medical Interpreters
Medical Interpreters serve as the middle ground between patients and doctors. But how does HIPAA apply to them?
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
What do Business Associates Need to be HIPAA Compliant?
It's not just healthcare providers that need to comply with HIPAA, their vendors need to be compliant too. But what do they need to do to be considered HIPAA Compliant?
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
What are the HIPAA Training Requirements?
HIPAA is a vast piece of legislation and requires that employees must be trained. But what are the HIPAA training requirements?
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Setting a HIPAA Proof Password
An easy step that organizations can take to safeguard PHI data (and just about any digital tool they use) is strong passwords. But what does HIPAA have to say about passwords?
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
HIPAA Compliance for SAAS
The question of how to comply with HIPAA as a SaaS provider has been the root of a lot of confusion over the years, so we’re here to answer the common questions & clear up any confusion.
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
What to do after a PHI breach? Recovering after Disaster
Whether you’ve never read the requirements of HIPAA or you’ve carefully tried to follow every step, a PHI breach can still happen. So what do you do now?
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
Email and HIPAA Compliance
Email is a great tool for communication. However, it can be extremely risk to send PHI via email, as HIPAA violations are common and costly. See what violations happen most often & what you can do to avoid them!
HIPAA
July 16, 2021
What is a Business Associate Agreement? All About BAAs
A Business Associate Agreement, or Business Associate Contract, is a written contract that specifies each party’s responsibilities when it comes to PHI. But who needs them, what should go in them, and when do you need to sign one? Read on to find out.
HIPAA
July 19, 2021
Overseas HIPAA Compliance
Want to work with American Healthcare Providers? It is important for all overseas vendors to know and comply with the rules and regulations of HIPAA.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Why is PHI Valuable to Hackers?
Most people know that healthcare data is a very popular target for hacking and phishing attempts, but why is Protected Health Information so valuable to hackers?
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
What are Administrative Safeguards
An important step in the process of protecting PHI is ensuring that your organization has adopted proper security procedures when it come to the usage of transmitting health information via email.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Medical Marijuana and HIPAA Compliance
With the medical CBD industry regularly growing, it has remained a consistent question of whether the cannabis industry need to be HIPAA compliant. We’ll answer all of your questions about HIPAA and Cannabis, just read on!
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
What is Protected Health Information? Understanding PHI
HIPAA is all about safeguarding PHI. But what is Protected Health Information? What Isn't PHI? Why is PHI so valuable to hackers? In this post, we'll answer your questions.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
HIPAA Compliance and Software Development
Plan on developing software that will create, store, or transmit health data? You may need to be HIPAA compliant.
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
How to Comply with the HITECH Act
“HIPAA on steroids” brought dramatic changes to HIPAA Rules by laying out far tougher data security requirements for healthcare organizations as well as their business associates.
HIPAA
July 7, 2021
What is a HIPAA Business Associate? Partners in Compliance
Who is a business associate? Who isn’t a HIPAA associate? Our article will answer these questions and more.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
The Core Rules of HIPAA
HIPAA is a vast regulation. We’ve broken down the core rules that you need to know and live by in order to be considered HIPAA Compliant.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
What is a Covered Entity?
Covered Entity? Business Associates? The HIPAA regulation is full of unusual language. Here we break down what is and what isn't a covered Entity.
HIPAA
July 6, 2021
Duties of a HIPAA Privacy Officer
The HIPAA rule requires that an organization appoint a Privacy Officer to oversee safeguarding the integrity and security of protected health information. But who should you select as your Privacy officer? And what steps should this person take? We have all the answers.
HIPAA
July 16, 2021
HIPAA and Photography
Photography can be a great marketing tool... and it can also land your medical practice in hot water. Here are the do's and don't of photography when it comes to HIPAA.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
HIPAA Certification vs HIPAA Compliance
Think that being certified makes you compliant? Think again! Read on to learn how a certification program does not free you up from your obligations under HIPAA.
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
How to be HIPAA Compliant When Working Remotely
Even before Covid-19 struck, working remotely was becoming more and more popular. However, working remotely poses new security risks and challenges to your organization's HIPAA compliance. Read on to see what those risks are and how you can mitigate them.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
All About the HIPAA Omnibus Rule
Learn how the HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule modified the Privacy Rule, Security Rule, Enforcement Rule and Breach Notification Rule.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
The Basics of the Breach Notification Rule
The Breach Notification Rule lays out everything you need to know about what a breach is, who needs to notified that one happened and what penalties there are for violations.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Difference Between Privacy and Security Rule
HIPAA is a complex and far-reaching regulation that covers both the security and privacy of protected health information (PHI). While they sound similar, Security and Privacy are two distinct functions of HIPAA.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
HIPAA and Social Media: Best Practices
The use of social media can lead to issues with HIPAA compliance, so read our helpful HIPAA social media guidelines to avoid any mistakes that can lead to HIPAA penalties!
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
The HITECH Act: Putting the “Force” into HIPAA enforcement
Whether you call it HIPAA on steroids or just another expansion, the HITECH Act gave organizations tougher security requirements as well as backs it up with increased penalties for HIPAA noncompliance.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
The HIPAA Privacy Rule
The HIPAA Privacy Rule was the second rule to expand and clarify the scope of HIPAA. It established standards to protect PHI and as originally applied to Covered Entities.
HIPAA
July 16, 2021
How to Conduct a HIPAA Risk Assessment
A HIPAA Risk Assessment is crucial to your compliance with HIPAA. Not only will it help identify risks and threats, its required by HIPAA. Read on to discover how to conduct a risk analysis.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
The History of HIPAA
HIPAA compliance is a moving target. To understand where HIPAA is moving, you'll first need to understand why it began and how it expanded.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Breaking down the HIPAA Security Rule
The Security Rule was the second expansion to the HIPAA Act. Here we will answer of your questions about the HIPAA Security Rule in one place.
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
Cost of HIPAA Violations
Think complying with HIPAA is a challenge? The hit of HIPAA Violations to your wallet and reputation are even greater challenges.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
HIPAA Compliance for Startups
Are you a startup looking to service healthcare providers? Complying with HIPAA can feel bewildering. Here is what you need to know about HIPAA compliance for startups.
HIPAA
July 26, 2021
What is HIPAA Compliance? How to Comply in 2021
HIPAA is a complex law that can affect every aspect of your business. Because it is broad and vague, it can feel like a challenge to know where to begin. That is why we broke down HIPAA compliance into its most basic steps.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
HIPAA Compliance Checklist for 2021
Need to be HIPAA Compliant but aren't sure what you need to do? Cut straight to the chase and learn what steps are actually required to become HIPAA-compliant by reviewing this checklist.
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Why Assign a Privacy Officer?
Every company under HIPAA is required to assign a designated privacy or security officer within the company. Who should this person be and what are their responsibilities?
HIPAA
June 28, 2021
Introduction To Becoming HIPAA Compliant
Do you need help understanding what is required to actually become HIPAA compliant? This blog post is the best place to start!

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