Monday, May 20, 2013

3 Reasons Why Healthcare Organizations Insist On HIPAA Certification


HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) Privacy Rule protects the private health information of patients and takes action when any complaint regarding this is made against a healthcare provider or healthcare plan. In case the organization is found to be in the wrong, they risk facing serious penalties. Sharing patient information with unauthorized individuals is a violation of the HIPAA law and can result in imprisonment and/or heavy fines. HIPAA violation has strict consequences and thus is it essential for healthcare organizations to become certified. Getting a HIPAA certification is not a complicated process and is essential for the proper functioning of the organization.
Becoming HIPAA certified involves attending certain courses and then undertaking exams at the end. The courses are designed to help you understand HIPAA requirements and perform all the processes and procedures of being HIPAA compliant. When you finish the course and pass the exam you will receive a completion certificate to prove you have undergone training and are knowledgeable about HIPAA laws.
Here are 3 reasons why HIPAA certification is a must for healthcare organizations:
• Covered organizations require their employees to be HIPAA certified. This is a simple process, especially if you decide to complete the training online. Online training classes are available throughout the day and can be done in your free time from home. Sometimes your employer may arrange training for a number of employees together. Either ways, it is essential for a healthcare employee to know the policies and procedures related to HIPAA.
• If you do not comply with HIPAA guidelines you may face serious penalties. In order to know and comply with all the regulations properly, you need to attend a certification course. Delaying your certification could cost you a lot more than money. The penalty for non-compliance can be severe depending on the case. You may be fined huge sums of money or may even be imprisoned for 5 years. In order to avoid such hassles in your profession, it is better to become HIPAA certified. Repeated violations of HIPAA laws may also lead to the healthcare organization and employee losing their license to practice.
• HIPAA training for healthcare employees is a federal law. According to the law, healthcare employees who deal with medical records of patients must be trained appropriately. This is to protect confidential medical information from getting into the wrong hands. Patients have rights over their own medical information, and will trust only those employees who know how to keep their records safe from the public. Only a trained employee will understand the importance of patient privacy and strive to maintain it.
Thus you see why healthcare care organizations insist on their employees being HIPAA certified. If you are looking for a job in the healthcare field, taking the course can increase your chances of getting the job. The course is available on the internet and you will have your certificate in hand in just a few clicks. The training is inexpensive and totally worth it

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