New Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations, which expand the scope of responsible parties to include vendors who contract with healthcare companies, are set to take effect on March 26. Anyone who "creates, maintains, receives or transmits Protected Health Information," is liable under the new regulations, says a Reuters article.
Announced in January, the new regulations also expand the definition of health-information privacy, make it easier for patients to know there has been a breach and presume any breach will cause harm, putting the burden on the healthcare provider or their associates to prove otherwise, says the article. The original 1996 act treated an incident as a breach only if it would likely harm a patient's finances or reputation, or cause other harm.
Another change to HIPAA is that individual penalties can go as high as $1.5 million per infraction, says the article. Businesses will have until Sept. 23 to comply with the changes.
Read the article.
New HIPAA regulations include vendors as responsible parties
New Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations, which expand the scope of responsible parties to include vendors who contract with healthcare companies, are set to take effect on March 26.
By Healthcare Facilities Today
March 19, 2013
Topic Area: Industry News
Recent Posts
Rethinking Strategies for Construction Success
Encouraging project team stakeholders to communicate, collaborate, care and align around a common goal.
From Touchless to Total Performance: Healthcare Restroom Design Redefined
Facility managers are raising the bar on hygiene, durability and system performance by turning restrooms into frontline assets for infection prevention and patient confidence.
New York State Approves $53M Construction Program at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
DOH greenlights first $6.5M phase, launching campus-wide upgrades to clinical spaces, infrastructure and patient care services through 2027.
How Health Systems Are Rethinking Facilities Amid Margin Pressure
As insurance uncertainty and consolidation reshape healthcare, facilities managers are turning to efficiency, adaptability and portfolio optimization to control costs.
Ground Broken on New Medical Office Building in Scottsdale, AZ
Hammes is developing a new 34,000-square-foot medical office building in Scottsdale, Arizona, in partnership with Phoenix-based NOVO Development.