What is HIPAA?
HIPAA is the acronym for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and is a federal law that required the creation of national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued the HIPAA Privacy Rule to implement the requirements of HIPAA. The HIPAA Security Rule protects a subset of information covered by the Privacy Rule.
HIPAA Privacy Rule
The Privacy Rule
standards address the use and disclosure of individuals’ health information
(known as protected health information or PHI) by entities
subject to the Privacy Rule. These individuals and organizations are called
“covered entities.”
The Privacy Rule also
contains standards for individuals’ rights to understand and control how their
health information is used. A major goal of the Privacy Rule is to make sure
that individuals’ health information is properly protected while allowing the flow
of health information needed to provide and promote high-quality healthcare,
and to protect the public’s health and well-being. The Privacy Rule permits
important uses of information while protecting the privacy of people who seek
care and healing.
We are HIPAA Compliant!!
Under HIPAA’s Privacy Rule, Universal Care Service falls under the extension of Business Associate. A Business Associate (BA) is any person(s) or entity, which performs a function or activity on behalf of a Covered Entity (CE) and involves the use or disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).
Protecting Your Patients' Privacy
We, at UCS are very
serious about compliance. We have undertaken various steps and designed our
process to ensure the same. Our entire network is very secure. All clients’ office records are kept behind a secure firewall and all
electronic claims are securely encrypted for transmission. Your privacy and
security are given the highest priority at Universal Care Service.
UCS ensures that all the
changes and updates made by HIPAA are properly and correctly communicated
amongst the team to ensure the highest standards of security and
confidentiality.
UCS Health Revenue Cycle
Management system is compliant with Medicare, HIPAA, and HITECH requirements.
Our stringent adherence to PHI and confidentiality affords you the ability to
meet regulatory requirements.
An employee who violates the privacy policy
is subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
We are fully compliant with all of the HIPAA requirements and
standards. Plus, we are knowledgeable and up-to-date on all the frequent
changes to the rules and regulations.
Other privacy
- Using a secure and encrypted connection (HTTPS) on our website.
- Employing encryption for data storage and transmission.
- Having strong access controls to limit access to PHI only to authorized personnel.
- Regularly monitoring and updating security measures.
Patients have specific rights under HIPAA, including the right to access their medical records and request amendments. For more information about your patients' HIPAA rights, please visit the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/index.html.
"If you have any questions or concerns about our HIPAA compliance practices, please don't hesitate to contact us. "