HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is a federal law that sets standards for protecting sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. This applies to all entities that handle patient health information, including healthcare providers, insurance companies, and business associates.
In simple terms, it means that small businesses that handle sensitive health information must have appropriate security measures in place to protect that information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or use. This includes things like password protection, encryption, and regular security audits.
HIPAA compliance is important because failure to comply can result in significant fines and legal penalties. Additionally, it’s important to maintain the trust of patients by keeping their personal and health information safe. As technology partners for our clients in the medial fields, we also follow HIPAA practices to ensure we and our partners are in compliance.