What is HIPAA?

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. It is a federally mandated law requiring that healthcare providers protect patient’s privacy and personal information.

HIPAA plays a crucial role in healthcare cybersecurity. It mandates covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses) to secure patients' electronic protected health information (ePHI). 

• Focus on ePHI: HIPAA safeguards sensitive patient data in electronic format, including medical records, billing information, and test results.

• Security Standards: The HIPAA Security Rule outlines specific security measures entities must implement to protect ePHI. These include access controls, data encryption, and risk assessments.

• Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability: HIPAA emphasizes protecting the confidentiality (keeping data private), integrity (ensuring data accuracy), and availability (ensuring authorized access) of ePHI.

• Compliance is Key: Failure to comply with HIPAA Security Rule can result in hefty fines and reputational damage.

See Also:

1. What is HIPAA Compliance?
2. What is the HIPAA Security Rule?

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