Disclaimer: This blog article was written by an AdvancedMD partner. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AdvancedMD.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed significant updates to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule to enhance the protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI) amid rising cyber threats.
Key Proposed Changes:
- Elimination of “Required” and “Addressable” Specifications: The proposal removes the distinction between “required” and “addressable” implementation specifications, mandating that all safeguards be implemented as specified.
- Enhanced Business Associate Agreements: Covered entities would need to update agreements to require business associates to notify them upon activation of contingency plans within 24 hours and to provide annual written analyses and certifications of compliance with technical safeguards.
- Regular Policy Reviews: Entities must maintain written policies and procedures, conducting regular reviews, testing, and updates to ensure ongoing effectiveness.
- Alignment with Cybersecurity Best Practices: The rule aims to align with modern cybersecurity frameworks, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, to address current and emerging threats.
How do these proposed changes impact your practice?
If you use the TLD Systems HIPAA Security Tool, the impact will be relatively low. TLD Systems already collects information on all required and addressable specifications and provide you with recommendations to be compliant with all specifications.
TLD Systems just updated the Business Associate agreements to accommodate the new rules related to reproductive health. TLD Systems will be updating these documents to include a clause for notification upon activation of contingency plans. You will receive alerts to execute updated Business Associate Agreements once TLD Systems has implemented these upgrades
TLD Systems already reaches out to you annually to have you review your policies and procedures. TLD Systems will continue to support you in this manner.
Our tool is already aligned with Cybersecurity Best Practices. All of the technical items discussed in the proposed changes are already part of our HIPAA Risk Analysis tool and Risk Mitigation tool.
If you are not already utilizing TLD Systems to support your HIPAA compliance, now is the time to start. Get your practice on track to be prepared for a HIPAA audit today.
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