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…

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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…

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Access Control: Automatic Logoff-What to Do and How to Do It

In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the third implementation specification for the Technical Safeguard Standard, Access Control. 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…

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Access Control: Emergency Access Procedure-What to Do and How to Do It

In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the second implementation specification for the Technical Safeguard Standard, Access Control. This implementation specification is required. 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 Establish and implement as needed procedures for obtaining necessary electronic protected health information during an emergency. How to Do It Emergency access refers to loss of…

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Access Control: Unique User Identification-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, Access Control. This implementation specification is required. 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 Assign a unique name and/or number for identifying and tracking user identity. How to Do It The covered entity should establish a policy whereby its Security…

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Physical Safeguard Standard, Device and Media Controls: Accountability Implementation Specification-What to Do and How to Do It

In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, Device and Medial Controls is the fourth and last Physical Safeguard Standard.  Accountability is the third of four implementation specifications, and it is addressable.  Remember, 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…

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Physical Safeguard Standard, Device and Media Controls: Medi Re-use Implementation Specification-What to Do and How to Do It

In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, Device and Medial Controls is the fourth and last Physical Safeguard Standard.  Media Re-use is the second of four implementation specifications, and it 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 must implement procedures for removal of electronic protected health information from electronic media before the…

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Device and Media Controls: What This HIPAA Security Rule Physical Safeguard Standard Means

This is the fourth and last Physical Safeguard Standard of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule.  It has four implementation specifications:  disposal, media re-use, accountability, and data backup and storage.  The first two are required; the last two are 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…

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Physical Safeguard Standard, Workstation Security-What to Do and How to Do It

In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the third Physical Safeguard Standard, Workstation Security.  The implementation specification for this standard is defined by the standard title, 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 must implement physical safeguards for all workstations that access electronic protected health information to restrict access…

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