By Aiden ArmstrongMost medical professionals are aware of the updated patient privacy laws. In fact, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act has been around since 1996. However, recent changes have made it vital to protect patient privacy and this includes your answering service. This makes HIPAA compliant answering services not a luxury but an absolute necessity, and here are some reasons why.
The Purposes Behind HIPAA
This important government act is designed to serve four separate purposes:
- Many Americans lose their medical insurance if they change jobs. HIPAA provides ways for these people to keep their health coverage intact.
- HIPAA lowers the chances for medical care abuse and fraud
- Electronic medical billing has now become standardized.
- HIPAA protects the healthcare info of patients and keeps it private and confidential
HIPAA Compliance
Complying with HIPAA is a full time responsibility, as so many things can occur to expose private information. But how does this affect answering the phone and why are HIPPA compliant answering services needed? What would you do if someone got into your message system? They could receive a great deal of sensitive information on patients. HIPAA compliant answering services are fully secure and protected to keep out unauthorized personnel.
Message Interception
Your answering service needs to be fully secure and this means text messages or email messages too. A good answering service utilizes modern day encryption methods. Messages are scrambled before sending and only the right source can unscramble the message on the receiving end. Even if someone were to intercept a private message, they would not be able to read or understand it.
Frequent Updates
HIPAA compliant answering services understand the need for software and hardware updates. This is the only way to stay one step ahead of the criminal element. Make sure your service is up to date and talk to a representative about all the security measures they employ to keep your data safe.
Data Backup
HIPAA compliant answering services not only keep your date secure, they have a way to back it up, in case of disaster. Make sure your company has the right kind of disaster recovery plan in place.
Which is the Best Service?
When you shop for the best HIPAA compliant answering services, look for automated medical answering services, because they are usually the most secure. You won’t have to worry about people disclosing sensitive data to others. Automated services are very dependable, and you can rely on secure services each and every month.
