The New HIPAA/HITECH Rules: Compliance vs. Cybersecurity

Those in the healthcare industry should be very familiar with the new security and privacy rules under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), enacted to strengthen the health information privacy and security protections established under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), as the deadline for compliance was September 23, 2013. The big news though is that many vendors who provide services to “covered entities” may now fall under the definition of a “business associate” (BA) and be held liable if not in compliance. If you’re not sure, read the new rule and definition now or get some help to be sure you haven’t missed a deadline.

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