HIPAA COMPLIANCE IN HEALTHCARE BPOs

In the year of 1996, a significant healthcare reform law was passed by Congress in the United States. The primary purpose of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 or HIPAA as it is popularly known is to tighten the laws around healthcare billing fraud and provide better access to health insurance. The other corollary sections of HIPAA include administrative simplification and the privacy of health information.

HIPAA has successfully combated fraud in health insurance, promoted the use of medical savings accounts, simplified the administration of health insurance, improved the access to long-term services and increased the portability of health insurance coverage.

Outsourcing Healthcare to India - HIPAA Compliance BPO

Information security and the American Medical Billing Industry go hand in hand. With the advent of the HIPAA Omnibus, the security and privacy provisions of HIPAA have become more complex, making it necessary for stringent controls in information security. To comply with HIPAA, Indian healthcare providers use state-of-the-art network infrastructure along with high levels of security solutions. Employees in Indian healthcare BPOs undergo rigorous training programs on the importance of information security and how to protect patient information. To safeguard information and improve confidentiality, Indian BPOs are implementing policies in accordance with ISO/IEC 27001:2022 standards.

Here are some answers to commonly asked questions about HIPAA compliance in healthcare BPOs -

What Does HIPAA Cover?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was developed to safeguard the confidentiality of a person's medical information and to protect individuals' medical records and personal health-related information. It sets a boundary on the use and the release of health records. It also uses safeguards to shield the privacy of health information. The privacy and administrative rules of HIPAA apply to healthcare clearinghouses, health plans, and to any healthcare provider who transmits electronic health information. Any service provider that deals with sensitive patient data have to ensure that the required network, physical, and security measures are strictly followed.

Read about our HIPAA compliant Healthcare BPO at Outsource2india.

Why Should Healthcare BPOs Comply with HIPAA?

Healthcare BPOs in India offer a gamut of services like medical billing, medical coding, EMR maintenance, medical transcription, and radiology to name a few. However, Indian BPOs must be HIPAA compliant. As per HIPAA, Patient Health Information or PHI has to be protected by all healthcare vendors, whether business associates or subcontractors. Since Indian healthcare service providers fall under the business associate category, they are required to comply with the administrative, technical, and physical requirements of the HIPAA security rule. Healthcare providers in India have to protect the PHI and ensure that the privacy and security of healthcare information are given highest preference.

Should Healthcare Applications be Compliant with HIPAA?

If an application is used to handle protected health information or PHI, then it has to be HIPAA compliant. If not, then the company using the information will be subject to penalties, as the rules of HIPAA will be violated.

What Are the Advantages of HIPAA Compliance for Healthcare BPOs?

When healthcare BPOs are compliant with HIPAA they can successfully reduce the cost for healthcare organizations, simplify processes, minimize administrative burdens, and improve the privacy and security of a patient's health information.

What Is the HIPAA Compliance Checklist that BPOs Should Follow?

As per HIPAA compliance requirements, sufficient administrative, technical, and physical safeguards have to be placed in order to ensure the security, integrity, and confidentiality of protected health information. Service providers offering healthcare services have to put safeguards in place to protect the health information of patients. PHI or protected health information has to be used, disclosed and shared cautiously. Limited access has to be given to patient health information. HIPAA compliant transactions have to be followed. Appropriate HIPAA education has to be provided to employees. Finally, adequate training has to be provided to train the business associated on how patient health information has to be protected.

Get Access to HIPAA Compliant Healthcare Services at Outsource2india

Are you interested in outsourcing healthcare services to India, but are worried about HIPAA compliance? At Outsource2india, we take HIPAA seriously. Whether it is our processes, applications, or resources we ensure that each and every step is compliant with HIPAA 5010 regulations. We provide our employees with extensive training on HIPAA regulations before they are allowed to work on a project. Each of our employees signs a confidentiality agreement before accessing any healthcare data. We select only a few authorized personnel who can access information. Partner with us today for a range of healthcare solutions and enjoy HIPAA compliant services.