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HIPAA Compliance

HIPAA And Employers

by Dina Kayed

Although HIPAA regulations affect all employees of the healthcare system, employers and directors have had the most significant changes to make. HIPAA generated many new policies, and it has been incumbent upon medical and health employers to apply them accurately. In addition, when HIPAA regulations were introduced, many administrators felt that the authority of employers was challenged straight away.

Under HIPAA, patients are granted access to their medical records for the first time. They are also given the right to ask for alterations to their records if they feel any information is incorrect. The right to ask for updates to a current medical subject is also granted. Although these new improvements are clearly to the benefit of the patients, they have been seen as a great challenge to all healthcare employers.

How HIPAA Affects Employers

HIPAA has required healthcare institutions to introduce a system to document their records electronically. New software has had to be purchased and installed. In most cases, employees need special training, requiring a wide variety of manuals to be distributed, in order to make sure everyone has access to a clear explanation of HIPAA regulations.

Penalties are also of great concern to employers, since the responsibility of applying HIPAA regulations falls squarely on their shoulders. Lawsuits can cost huge amounts of money and, perhaps worse, significant damage to organizations' reputations. The necessity for constant supervision and effort in order to correctly apply HIPAA regulations is time-consuming and stressful. With outside professional help, however, many elements of this complex and ongoing process can be made considerably easier.

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