HIPAA.com has received from its readers requests for information on topics related to HIPAA Administrative Simplification Privacy and Security Rules and to updates to those rules reflected in the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. Of particular interest to readers is: what exactly is protected health information (PHI)? Protected Health Information To get to protected health information, you have to examine two definitions that were in Section 1171 of Part C of Subtitle F of Public Law 104-191 (August 21, 1996): Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996: Administrative Simplification. These statutory definitions are of…
Tag: covered entity
Transmission Security Encryption: What to Do and How to Do It
In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the second of two implementation specifications for the Technical Safeguard Standard, Transmission Security. This implementation specification is addressable. Addressable does not mean “optional.” Rather, an addressable implementation specification means that a covered entity must use reasonable and appropriate measures to meet the standard. As we noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. What to…
Transmission Security Integrity Controls: What to Do and How to Do It
In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the first implementation specification for the Technical Safeguard Standard, Transmission Security. This implementation specification is addressable. Addressable does not mean “optional.” Rather, an addressable implementation specification means that a covered entity must use reasonable and appropriate measures to meet the standard. As we noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. What to Do Implement…
Transmission Security: What This HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard Standard Means
This is the fifth and last Technical Safeguard Standard of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule. It has two implementation specifications: integrity controls; and encryption. Each is addressable. Addressable does not mean “optional.” Rather, an addressable implementation specification means that a covered entity must use reasonable and appropriate measures to meet the standard. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. For compliance with…
Person or Entity Authentication: What to Do and How to Do It
In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the fourth Technical Safeguard Standard. There is not a separately described implementation specification. Rather, this standard’s implementation specification is connoted in the language of the standard and is required. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. What to Do A covered entity is required to implement procedures to verify that a…
Person or Entity Authentication: What This HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard Standard Means
This is the fourth Technical Safeguard Standard of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule. There is not a separately described implementation specification. Rather, this standard’s implementation specification is connoted in the language of the standard and is required. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. For compliance with this Technical Safeguard Standard, a covered entity is required to implement procedures to verify that…
Integrity: Mechanism to Authenticate Electronic Protected Health Information-What to Do and How to Do It
In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the implementation specification for the third Technical Safeguard Standard, Integrity. This implementation specification is addressable. Addressable does not mean “optional.” Rather, an addressable implementation specification means that a covered entity must use reasonable and appropriate measures to meet the standard. As we noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. What to Do Implement electronic…
Integrity: What This HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard Standard Means
This is the third Technical Safeguard Standard of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule. It has one implementation specification: mechanism to authenticate electronic protected health information. This implementation specification is addressable. Addressable does not mean “optional.” Rather, an addressable implementation specification means that a covered entity must use reasonable and appropriate measures to meet the standard. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009….
Audit Control: What to Do and How to Do It
In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the second Technical Safeguard Standard. There is not a separately described implementation specification. Rather, this standard’s implementation specification is connoted in the language of the standard and is required. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. What to Do A covered entity is required to implement hardware, software, and/or procedural mechanisms…
Audit Control: What This HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard Standard Means
This is the second Technical Safeguard Standard of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule. There is not a separately described implementation specification. Rather, this standard’s implementation specification is connoted in the language of the standard and is required. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. Covered entities are required to have in place audit controls to monitor activity on their electronic systems that…