The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) establishes national standards for electronic health care transactions. HIPAA reflects a move away from cumbersome paper records and an increased emphasis on the security and privacy of health data.

But HIPAA’s magnitude and complexity can sometimes be overwhelming for healthcare providers, compliance officers and other affected professionals.
And because the Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of Civil Rights conducts periodic enforcement audits, it’s vital that your healthcare business and its workforce meet all HIPAA standards for ensuring patient data security and privacy. Complying with HIPAA requirements is the sure way to sidestep passive violations that can result in civil fines and avoid active disclosures—such as by selling, transferring, or using individually identifiable health information for commercial advantage, personal gain or malicious harm—that can trigger criminal penalties.