Entities Covered by HIPAA Compliance Beside Hospitals ??

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a term on every healthcare provider's lip. It has been a huge concern for every healthcare provider for over a year. But now, this concern is not just limited to healthcare companies, it has extended its reach beyond healthcare to other entities also.?

Now whomever companies deal with patient health information have been responsible for following the same rule and are liable to penalties if they are non-compliant with HIPAA rules.?

So, what are those entities other than healthcare providers to whom HIPAA applies? To know the answer to this question, continue reading the post. Also, understand how you can be free from HIPAA complaints.?

Covered Entities Who Needs To Be HIPAA Compliance

There are various kinds of entities that fall under the Covered Entity category, as described below.

• Healthcare Providers – Any healthcare organization or institution that collects protected health information (PHI) must be HIPAA compliant. This includes doctors, dentists, psychologists, physiologists, clinics, pharmacies, nursing homes, etc.
• Healthcare Plans – Any corporations that give healthcare plans, such as health insurance companies, group health plans, health maintenance organizations, and government-funded health plans like Medicare & Medicaid, are a covered entity.
• Healthcare Clearinghouses – All healthcare clearinghouses that convert PHI data into a uniform format for electronic transmission also fall under covered entities.

Other Than Covered Entities: Business Associates Are Also Liable to HIPAA Rules

Business associates are those who carry out certain tasks or obligations that include using or disclosing PHI, either on behalf of or as a service provider to a covered entity.?

Few examples of business associates are as follows:?

• Any external and independent hospital consultant who conducts evaluations.
• An external administrator who helps process claims for a healthcare plan.
• A third-party CPA company needs access to PHI to provide covered companies with accounting services.

Business associates can provide services to covered entities without engaging with patients directly. But to ensure that they protect the shared PHI as per HIPAA standards, the covered organizations must sign a business associate agreement (BAA).

Business associates are also entirely responsible for HIPAA violations and are subject to the same penalties as covered organizations.

Penalties for 'Violating HIPAA Rules

HIPAA-covered entities and business associates that have accepted a BAA with a covered entity must follow HIPAA Rules. Non-compliance with any aspects of HIPAA can lead to severe penalties.?

For example, you have to pay a hefty amount for a HIPAA breach. The fine of HIPAA violation starts at $100 per breach and it is liable to rise depending on the severity of your offense. It can reach up to a maximum of $1,919,173 as per the category of your violation.?

If HIPAA offenses have been permitted to remain for several years, or if several HIPAA Rules violations are uncovered, multi-million dollar fines are probable. Certain HIPAA infractions may also result in criminal consequences.

How to Avoid Paying Those Hefty Fines & Be HIPAA Compliant?

One of the best ways to be HIPAA compliant is by hiring a healthcare app development company. Why? HIPAA is a challenging and confusing body that you can't fathom alone.

So you need a team of expert medical app developers who have worked with HIPAA. With such an expert development company, you can easily create your HIPAA-compliant mobile healthcare app.

So you need a team of expert medical app developers who have worked with HIPAA. With such an expert HIPAA compliant app development company, you can easily create your app HIPAA-compliant.

Conclusion?

Now that you have the answer to, 'who does HIPAA apply to" and whether your cloud-hosted company needs to be HIPAA compliant, you're halfway through ensuring HIPAA compliance. That said, if you find navigating the complicated HIPAA legislation challenging, we've got you covered.?

Excellent Webworld is the leading healthcare app development company with years of experience in making HIPAA-compliant apps. With such a high experience, we can guide you on how you can avoid the HIPAA violation so you can focus only on running your business productively. Also, provide you with the best solution possible. So, get in touch with us.?