You must comply with HIPAA standards if you create, process, store, or transmit protected health information (PHI). These rules protect the privacy and security of sensitive patients’ data and apply to various covered entities and their business associates. HIPAA compliance is also required of subcontractors, researchers, and hybrid entities. Here’s an overview of four entities that require HIPAA compliant email, but first, have a look at HIPAA email security standards:
HIPAA Email Security Standards
The primary objective of HIPAA email standards is to restrict and monitor access to PHI. HIPAA compliant email security standards involve strict access, audits, and integrity controls, including ID authentication and transmission encryptions. PHI must remain safe from unauthorized access at rest and during transit. Covered entities must also monitor how this information is communicated via email to provide infallible message accountability. Other aspects of HIPAA emails include reliable archiving and retention frameworks that facilitate prompt responses to individual access requests.
Covered entities must maintain audit trails and prevent unauthorized or erroneous modification of protected records. To comply with these requirements, entities and their business associates need HIPAA compliant archiving and retention, email providers, and other IT resources. HIPAA standards require encrypting patient data following guidelines published by NIST. These guidelines include TLS, S/MIME, and other modern encryption standards that protect data against malware and hijackers. The four covered entities that require HIPAA-conforming emails include healthcare providers, plans, and clearinghouses:
1. Healthcare Providers
All healthcare organizations and institutions need HIPAA conforming email providers and services because they collect sensitive health information. Healthcare providers include physicians/doctors, clinics, nursing homes, psychologists, dentists, chiropractors, and pharmacies. These organizations need HIPAA conforming email services if they transmit electronic health information linked to transactions using adopted HHS standards. Business associates, such as revenue cycle management companies that help doctors get reimbursed for their services, must also be HIPAA compliant.
2. Healthcare Plans
Every organization and corporation that issues healthcare plans must implement HIPAA compliant safeguards for their email communications. Health plan providers include health insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, company health plans, and group health plans. Medicare, Medicaid, and other government-funded health plans, including veterans and military health care programs, also need HIPAA conforming emails. Business associates, such as companies that help to administer the health plans must also meet HIPAA email safety standards.
3. Healthcare Clearinghouses
HIPAA defines clearinghouses as public or private entities that process nonstandard health data and elements into standard electronic format. Clearinghouses also process standard data content into nonstandard data. Standard data is structured and transferable between health information systems. Examples include patient name, date of birth, and bloodwork results. Nonstandard or unstructured data includes emails, audio recordings, and doctor’s notes. Clearinghouses include billing services, community health information systems, value-added networks, and repricing companies.
4. Hybrid Entities
Covered entities refer to health providers, plans, and clearinghouses, but HIPAA rules also apply to hybrid entities. A hybrid entity deals with HIPAA-covered and non-covered processes. Examples include grocery stores with a pharmacy, organizations with self-insured healthcare plans, and universities with medical centers. These organizations must guarantee the healthcare component of their business meets HIPAA email safety rules. Protected health records held by the healthcare department of the organization must not be disclosed to non-HIPAA-covered departments.
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Get Started With a HIPAA Compliant Email
Implementing HIPAA-conforming email services and safeguards protects the integrity of your records while keeping hackers and malware at bay. Complying with HIPAA email requirements also prevents unnecessary penalties inflicted on companies that violate HIPAA standards. Contact a one-stop shop for HIPAA-conforming products today to learn more about HIPAA compliant email services.
