3 Things That You Need to Know About HIPAA Exams

Any employee working for a company or organization that has access to patient medical records is required by law to complete and pass HIPAA Exams. If you are looking to pass you exams, following you will find some more things about HIPAA.

• Background Information

HIPAA was enacted in 2003 as a means to reduce healthcare costs and to reform the administrative process. The main goals of HIPAA are to improve privacy and security of medical records as well as to encourage the electronic usage and storage of data.

Individuals can choose to attend HIPAA training either in a traditional classroom, or online, where they can set their own schedules. There are numerous companies and organizations offering HIPAA training so there are a lot of options to choose from. Both private and public companies dealing with medical records are required to provide HIPAA training for all employees, but individuals can choose to enroll in the training program on their own.

• The Privacy Rule

One of the most important regulations in the HIPAA training program is the Privacy Rule. There are three types of covered entities which need to comply with the Privacy Rule. The first group of entities is represented by companies or organization that in any way contribute to the payment of medical care expenses. This group includes health insurance companies and managed care organizations, such as the Health Maintenance Organization for militaries.

The second group of entities is represented by health providers, who provide the treatment and are paid for doing this. Health providers include doctors, dentists, nurses, and hospitals or medical clinics as a whole. The last group of entities is referred to as healthcare clearing houses and is represented by organizations involved in processing medical records.

• HIPAA Requirements

All of the above stated entities and, more specifically, all employees of such organization that have direct access to medical records have to comply with certain regulations imposed by HIPAA.

Each organization or company has to designate a privacy officer who can oversee that the Privacy Rule is properly adopted and implemented and that all employees are adhering to it. Small businesses are allowed to name an existing employee as privacy officer.

Healthcare professionals are also required to inform patients about their privacy rights and to let them know how the information they offer will be used. Companies and organizations in the healthcare industry are also required to keep patient records, which include medical past and health insurance data, secured so that no unauthorized person can access them.

Covered entities are obliged by law to ensure that all employees are trained in the HIPAA field and that they comply with all of the regulations. Additionally, any new hired employees are expected to receive their HIPAA certificate as soon as possible.

The information presented above represents some of the most important things a healthcare employee should know about HIPAA training and exams. For more information on the matter, you can contact any company offering HIPAA training for healthcare professionals.