In November 2020, there were 250,000 complaints stating that HIPAA laws had been in violation. Resulting in repercussions that cost thousands of dollars in fines and even jail time up to ten years.
These can be terrifying facts For those in the medical business and might make you wonder about your own business’s risk factors. Luckily, you can avoid violations with a simple method: enrolling in a program to receive a HIPAA training certificate.
Owning a HIPAA certificate will show patients that your staff knows about HIPAA regulations and health care laws, allowing your employees to meet HIPPA standards while gaining patient trust.
If you have been considering HIPAA training services, this is the best place to learn the importance of getting certified.
What Is HIPAA?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA Privacy Rule, demands that medical health information remains private.
Before, HIPAA there were no laws set in place to legally protect the public’s health information. This means healthcare staff was never held accountable for violating terms of privacy.
HIPAA was put into action to prevent fraud. It also gives Americans health insurance coverage, and protect confidential medical information.
HIPAA Compliance VS HIPAA Training Certificate
There is a distinct difference between being certified and being compliant.
Certification means taking a training course for HIPAA rules and policies to students. After the training course, employees will receive a certificate stating they have passed with sufficient HIPAA knowledge.
Compliance is a different matter. Being compliant means adhering to the HIPAA privacy guidelines and never violating the statutes set in place.
As you see, you can have a certificate and still not be compliant. It is best to adhere to both standards to obey the HIPAA laws.
What Kind Of HIPAA Courses Are There?
HIPAA training certificates include a variety of services. These courses include detailed information about the general requirements in the HIPAA laws. They also provide information on auditing and security standards.
Health care workers are not the only employees who should be certified. If you have administrative staff, human resources department, or anyone else dealing with patient files or private information, they should also undergo HIPAA training.
This will help eliminate any outstanding risk factors to your business.
The Importance Of Being Certified
According to the HHS, no legal standards have been set in motion in the United States that require healthcare staff to undergo individual HIPAA training. Therefore, covered entities are not required to show proof of a HIPAA certification.
This is because certifications do not cover any legalities should your business be sued or fined for violations.
Though this may be true, it doesn’t mean training your employees would be pointless. There are several reasons why obtaining a HIPAA training certificate would work to your benefit.
Reputation
Think about how your business would compare if your competitors have a HIPAA certification and you don’t. Your practice would not measure up very equally and could even suffer if your employees don’t have adequate medical privacy knowledge.
To potential patients and clients, having no proof of certification would make you look unprofessional. It could even cause you to lose business.
On the other hand, if you did possess a certificate, then your business’s credibility would be stable and secure, making patients and clients feel safer.
Patient Trust
Patients appreciate the confidential relationship that exists between them and their practitioners. After all, their medical criteria are in your hands.
So, whether you are a physician, dentist, chiropractor, or even a health care provider such as Medicaid, patients put a large amount of trust into whom they work.
Having that trust backed up and secured by proof of HIPAA training certificates will ensure patient and client appreciation.
Avoid Mistakes
Without training, you are at risk of having client health information compromised.
The problem is, employees not educated on compliance may accidentally leak personal information without realizing it. There might be criteria that would seem like no big deal to discuss when, in reality, it is an unintentional violation of HIPAA terms.
An individual training program would ensure that your healthcare staff is conscious of every detail regarding what information should remain confidential.
How Do I Get Trained?
If you are looking to have your staff HIPAA certified, you will need to look into a third-party vendor specializing in HIPAA training services such as Hippa Security Suite.
Our organization works to provide full HIPAA documentation following the HITECH act for covered entities. We will also evaluate risk assessment regarding your place of business and employees, aid in a backup disaster, and even offer an audit response team.
Where Do I Get Trained?
HIPAA training is offered completely online. Allowing you quick access to courses which your staff can complete on their own time.
When it comes to the certification time frame, it all depends on several factors about your business.
Our company will assess different variants such as the number of employees or the working environment and give you a rough timeframe. That said, once your employees have finished the training course, they will receive a certification on the spot.
How Long Does A Certificate Last?
Good question. Every year, HIPAA laws are changing. Because of this, a certificate lasts about one year. So, your employees will have to undergo training yearly to keep up with the new or revised laws.
Enroll In A Course
If you have not already, you might want to consider a HIPAA certification program. Remember, a HIPAA training certificate is essential to any business within the medical field.
By choosing HIPPA Suite, we will help your business stay compliant, educate your employees on crucial HIPAA laws, and show your dedication to keeping personal information safe and sound.
If you would like more details about our HIPAA compliant services, then be sure to schedule a consultation with us today!
