HIPAA Compliance & Patient Information

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy, security, and confidentiality of Protected Health Information (PHI).

What Is HIPAA?

HIPAA establishes national standards to ensure that patient medical information is handled securely and disclosed only when legally permitted.

What Is Protected Health Information (PHI)?

PHI includes any information that can identify a patient, such as:

  • Patient names
  • Dates of birth
  • Medical records and diagnoses
  • Treatment and test results
  • Insurance and billing information
  • Paper charts, electronic records, and verbal communications

HIPAA protects PHI in all forms: paper, electronic, and verbal.

Why HIPAA Compliance Is Important

HIPAA requires healthcare organizations to implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect patient information.

  • Keep information confidential
  • Prevent unauthorized access
  • Securely store and properly dispose of records
  • Ensure information is used only for permitted purposes

Common HIPAA Violations

  • Unsecured or unlocked paper medical records
  • Patient charts left visible at front desks or exam rooms
  • Improper disposal of PHI
  • Lack of workforce HIPAA training
  • Missing or outdated HIPAA policies

Companies Fined for HIPAA Violations

  • Anthem, Inc. – $16,000,000
  • Premera Blue Cross – $6,850,000
  • New York Presbyterian Hospital – $4,800,000
  • Cottage Health – $3,000,000
  • University of Rochester Medical Center – $3,000,000
  • CardioNet – $2,500,000
  • Presence Health – $475,000

Our Commitment to HIPAA Compliance

  • Regular HIPAA risk assessments
  • Documented policies and procedures
  • Annual workforce HIPAA training
  • Secure handling of paper and electronic records
  • Incident response and breach management planning
  • Annual compliance reviews and renewals

HIPAA Compliance Services

Privacy • Security • Risk Management

We provide HIPAA compliance services designed to help healthcare organizations protect Protected Health Information (PHI) in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule, and Breach Notification Rule.

Disclaimer: HIPAA is a federal law, not a certification program. References to HIPAA compliance services do not imply government approval, certification, or endorsement.

Are You Willing to Risk It All?

As technology continues to advance, security risks are increasing—not decreasing. Data breaches, ransomware attacks, and compliance audits are becoming more common across healthcare organizations of all sizes.

Soon, patients will begin asking an important question: “Is my medical information protected, and is this practice HIPAA compliant?”

When that moment comes, what will you tell your patients?

Don’t wait for a breach, complaint, or audit to find out. Proactive HIPAA compliance protects your patients, your practice, and your reputation.

Questions or Concerns

If you have questions regarding HIPAA compliance or patient privacy, please contact us.