The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was created to protect sensitive health information from being disclosed without the patients’ consent. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and state attorneys general issue penalties for HIPAA violations, and these penalties can be devastating for healthcare companies.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) compliance is a complex — but necessary — process for healthcare businesses in the United States, including those in New Jersey. It protects all patient health data from being disclosed without their consent or knowledge.

Mobile devices are so ubiquitous and full of useful features that it’s not surprising that medical professionals use these when administering healthcare services. For instance, nurses, doctors, and caregivers use tablets to access and update patients’ charts.

Every organization handling patient health information (PHI) must be fully compliant with the regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, whether as a covered entity or a business associate. But you get more out of HIPAA compliance than just being on the right side of the law.

Those in the healthcare industry face two major challenges. The first is having poor service due to outdated, unsuitable technology in their facilities. The second is meeting the tough compliance demands, given that their industry handles a lot of sensitive personal data.

Cybercriminals often target the healthcare industry, and it’s not surprising why. Patient health information (PHI) contains a lot of valuable data about individuals. That’s why in the black market, PHI fetches more money than credit card data.

No wonder criminals continue to find ways to steal PHI. A recent survey of 1,758 US and Canadian healthcare employees revealed 27% of healthcare organizations have experienced at least one ransomware attack in the past five years, while 33% have experienced multiple ransomware attacks.

As 2018 winds down to a close, we look back at the state of cybersecurity in the healthcare industry. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 requires healthcare professionals to ensure that the data of their patients and consumers are kept private and protected.

Many healthcare practitioners have already switched from paper to electronic health records (EHR). The upgrade is equal parts exciting and perilous, which is why the government imposed sanctions on how these records are protected. In 2015, Medicare started penalizing hospitals and doctors that didn’t use EHR, but with their heavy burdens, it's not surprising that most healthcare practitioners view them as more of a requirement than an opportunity.

Being subject to stringent government-mandated regulations and the constant need to provide top-level of service to their patients, healthcare providers turn to modern technology to keep up with the demands of their job. But because technology is not their core competence, their reluctant approach to it prevents them from achieving a successful digital transformation.

All it takes is a stolen or lost laptop, a malware attack, a physical break-in at the office, or a misspelled email recipient, and your company faces up to millions of dollars in fines for violating HIPAA.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, requires healthcare providers and their business associates to keep medical information private and protected at all times.