The definitive guide to complying with the HIPAA/HITECH privacy and security rules

"The security standards in HIPAA were developed to implement appropriate security safeguards for the protection of certain Electronic Protected Health Information (EPHI) that may be at risk while permitting authorized individuals to use this information. This book assists the health care provider in reviewing the accessibility of EPHI to verify that it is not altered or destroyed in an unauthorized manner and that it is available as needed by authorized individuals. The text covers implementation standards and provides recommendations on how to comply with these standards. "-- "Preface The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has published four major rules implementing a number of provisions and regulations set out by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 1999 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). These rules are the Privacy Rule; the Electronic Transactions and Code Sets Rule; the National Identifier requirements for employers, providers, and health plans; and the Security Rule. It also include more regulatory control over enforcement actions and stiffer penalties for noncompliance. There are many healthcare providers, healthcare clearinghouses, and health plans that are required to implement and comply with these rules, especially the Security Rule. Failure to implement or comply with these rules can leave the covered entity or others that need to comply open for large monetary fines, civil lawsuits, and other penalties. With the rise of security breaches and other high-profile incidences regarding successful hacking events, it is very apparent that information has become a valuable commodity. The United States has moved from a nation built on manufacturing and industry to an information/knowledge powerhouse. With the advancement in technology comes the opportunity for criminals to find another source of income by exploiting vulnerabilities within this technology. Retail, financial, and governmental entities have been the target and have fallen victim to these types of crimes; however, these industries are not the only industries susceptible. Technology has made companies more efficient and even now healthcare providers are required to submit Medicaid and"--