Understanding HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) establishes national standards for protecting sensitive patient health information. Any organization handling Protected Health Information (PHI) must comply with its requirements.
What Qualifies as PHI?
PHI includes any individually identifiable health information, such as:
- Patient names and addresses
- Medical record numbers
- Health plan beneficiary numbers
- Social Security numbers in healthcare contexts
- Any unique identifying numbers or characteristics
The HIPAA Security Rule
The Security Rule requires covered entities to implement:
- Administrative safeguards: Policies and procedures to manage security.
- Physical safeguards: Physical access controls and workstation security.
- Technical safeguards: Access controls, encryption, and audit controls.
Common HIPAA Violations
- Unauthorized access to patient records
- Improper disposal of PHI
- Sharing PHI via unsecured channels
- Lack of encryption on portable devices
- Insufficient access controls
Maintaining Compliance
Regular audits and automated scanning tools help organizations identify where PHI exists across their systems. VaultMate's PHI detection capabilities can scan files for medical record numbers, insurance IDs, and other healthcare-related identifiers.