Healthcare fraud and security breaches have been making headlines recently. It seems that almost everywhere we turn, we hear about a new threat to banking or health information security. After the Equifax breach compromised 143 million Americans’ credit and financial information earlier this year, individuals and organizations are shifting their best practices and regulations to prevent this from happening again.
In the healthcare sector, protecting patients’ personal and financial information should always be the highest priority of any healthcare provider, insurance agency, or healthcare support company. With the number of these breaches steadily increasing, it has become even more necessary to closely follow HIPAA guidelines and prevent security risks at your facility.
Regulations and security measures change as new threats arise and as legislation is proposed or adjusted. Healthcare providers must make sure they always maintain compliance, even as these regulations constantly change and evolve. The procedures, practices, and policies enforced by HIPAA and HITECH ensure that confidential patient information and records stay secure, whether stored on paper or online.
HIPAA compliance was not common when the act was first introduced, as many organizations, especially small businesses, found it difficult to maintain compliance. The improvement of technology and the increase of security breaches have made compliance much more widespread, however. In fact, non-compliance is now incredibly detrimental to healthcare and healthcare support providers.
Organizations and facilities that do not comply with these regulations not only face an increased risk of a security breach but can also be hit with hefty fines or even jail time for violators. Some of these fines may reach up to $1.5 million per violation per calendar year. In addition, any healthcare provider or organization that does not practice compliance will have a hard time earning and keeping patients or customers.
ECLAT Health Solutions, offering offshore medical coding and medical billing services to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Independent Practice Associations, physician offices, and more, proudly complies with all HIPAA and HITECH regulations. To ensure we are always protecting our clients’ sensitive personal and financial information, we take a variety of measures:
We always exercise these practices among many others to ensure all of our clients’ confidential information remains secure in our facilities. In addition, we are also SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and have earned ISO Certification. To receive SOC 2 Type 2 certification, an organization has accurate and compliant policies and procedures in place that protect all sensitive information. ISO certification verifies that an organization meets all the necessary requirements for security and quality assurance.
As an organization, we strive to uphold our accreditations and adapt to the changing healthcare security landscape. ECLAT’s medical coding services are always secure, efficient, and accurate. We work as an extension of each of our clients’ organizations, and we treat their security concerns just like our own. This is why we are vigilant regarding compliance with regulatory and best practice standards, keeping our clients’ and their patients’ sensitive information as secure as possible.
Contact us today to learn more about how we maintain the highest security and compliance in our offshore medical coding and billing services!