Total HIPAA Compliance Launches HIPAA 2.0 Compliance and Training Package for Health Insurance Agents
Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) July 10, 2013 -- Total HIPAA Compliance (http://www.totalhipaa.com) today announced the release of its HIPAA 2.0 product for the health insurance market. With this up-to-date and innovative program, health insurance agencies and their staffs can prepare to meet the requirements of the updated 2013 HIPAA law using this online training and compliance package.
The regulations issued in January 2013 by Health and Human Services finalizes many of the open items that were first announced following the sweeping changes from the 2009 HITECH legislation. Changes include direct regulation for insurance agents and brokers as Business Associates, as well as significant increases in fines and penalties for breaches of health information. Perhaps the most significant change is the requirement for Business Associates’ subcontractors to meet the same requirements as Covered Entities for protecting the health information of clients.
Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights, as the enforcement arm for these new HIPAA rules, has been very aggressive in penalizing doctors, hospitals, and insurance agencies for the disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI). From 2008 to 2012, over $15 million of penalties have been imposed for the accidental or intentional release of PHI. In addition HHS has increased the number of random audits to determine that those businesses that come in contact with PHI have procedures to guard against the release of this information.
“The agency materials are an easy-to-implement training and compliance package. It is an ideal solution for small- and medium-size agencies that want to be in compliance by the September 23 deadline,” comments Jan Karn, President, Total HIPAA Compliance.
Every health insurance agency needs to have a set of Policies and Procedures in place as guidance for how they will handle the PHI they see. The agency package from Total HIPAA Compliance includes sample Policies and Procedures that an agency can quickly modify and implement.
Total HIPAA Compliance training also satisfies the HIPAA requirement of insurance agencies and their staff utilizing a tour of a typical insurance agency. The tour looks at how employees need to be HIPAA-aware in the reception area, the producer’s office, the agency manager’s office, the file room, and the server area. Our proprietary system tests and tracks the successful completion of training and reminds parties when it is time for annual retraining. The agency compliance officer has access to all this database information on demand.
“It’s the kind of product that most agencies need now to avoid serious business issues in the coming months,” said Jerod Cohen, a principal with Snipes Insurance Agency in Raleigh, North Carolina. “Being prepared and trained will help my business meet our commitment to protect our clients’ privacy.”
ABOUT TOTAL HIPAA COMPLIANCE
Total HIPAA Compliance prepares health insurance agents, HR professionals, HIPAA Privacy and Security Officers, healthcare professionals and subcontractors of Business Associates to meet federally mandated 2013 HIPAA compliance regulations. With more than 100 years of combined regulatory, educational, professional management and health care experience, our staff prepares and delivers compliance materials and training in a variety of media that best meets the needs of individual learners.
See more at: http://www.totalhipaa.com
Rob Karn, Total HIPAA Compliance, http://www.totalhipaa.com, 919-422-8519, [email protected]
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