
Protected Health Information (PHI)
The benefits of HIPAA compliance
According to the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR), there has been a considerable upward trend in healthcare data breaches since the office began tracking data breach statistics in 2009. Now more than ever, protecting patient data is paramount—and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is key to providing patients with security and privacy. HIPAA is a federal law passed in 1996 designed to protect patient health data. Covered entities, including healthcare providers, health insurance companies, healthcare clearinghouses, and any business associates of a covered entity that use or disclose protected health information (PHI), are required by law to comply with HIPAA.

Steve Ryan