Why HIPAA Compliance Is Important

Healthcare organizations have increasingly become a target for cyber attacks. Numerous malicious, large scale health data breaches have taken place this year such as the Anthem data breach, which affected nearly 80 million individuals.[1]More recently, UCLA Health suffered a massive data breach in May 2015, where hackers accessed the medical files of more than 4.5 million patients, according to a UCLA Health notice published in July.[2]According to a 2015 Harris Poll commissioned by Vormetric Data Security, 26 percent of healthcare IT decision makers are protecting data because of a data breach in the past.[3] The report also stated that 48 percent of U.S. healthcare organizations reported either encountering a data breach or failing a compliance audit in the last year.

HIPAA improves the efficiency of the healthcare system by facilitating electronic interchange of healthcare information and protecting patients’ privacy. The HIPAA Privacy Rule was designed to assure patients and providers that their personally identifiable information (PII) is protected. Healthcare organizations must be HIPAA compliant.

Satisfying these complex HIPAA compliance requirements is beneficial – healthcare organizations may lower the risk of damaging their reputation, avoid data breach penalties, and implement best practices.Healthcare organizations may also avoid potential regulatory actions and lawsuits.

What Does This Mean For You?

Wilson Consulting Group (WCG) has successfully assisted organizations in the healthcare industry to design and/or implement the administrative, physical and technical safeguards needed to satisfy this regulation.

It is essential that you take proactive security measures by assessing and becoming aware of the compliance requirements needed. At WCG, we offer Security Awareness and Training, equipping your staff with the ability to understand and implement corporate security policies and procedures, and maintain an effective, operational and logical security program.

WCG’s HIPPA Assessment determines whether the controls currently in place meet industry best practices, are compliant with corporate policies and federal regulations, and allow your organization to sufficiently manage risk. Succeeding the assessment, you will be provided the information gathered, weaknesses in the areas assessed, and recommendations for improvement.

If your organization does not satisfy the proper standards and regulations, do not wait another moment to become HIPAA compliant – a data breach can happen at any time. WCG’s various risk management and compliance services can evaluate your protection strategies and determine your level of compliance with regulatory mandates and industry requirements. At WCG, your security is our priority.

[1]http://money.cnn.com/2015/02/04/technology/anthem-insurance-hack-data-security/

[2]https://www.uclahealth.org/pages/data2015.html#Substitute

[3]http://enterprise-encryption.vormetric.com/rs/vormetric/images/CW_CP_Vormetric_ITR_Healthcare_040715.pdf