San Diego HIPAA Compliance Attorneys
The Watkins Firm has served San Diego’s healthcare, medical professionals and practices and associated facilities and practices for more than four decades. The pace of information exchanged in today’s medical and business climate is accelerating and your firm needs a law firm who can help you to ensure HIPAA compliance in all operational and communications aspects within your practice or facility.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a federal law which creates standards for the maintenance of electronic medical health records, as well as the processes to secure and preserve the privacy of the information contained within them. The act applies to all forms of written, oral or electronic patient records. HIPAA compliance is required of all medical practices and healthcare providers as well as San Diego employers and their business affiliates. In essence, HIPAA compliance exists to protect personal and health information that may be used to identify an individual person.
HIPAA regulations apply to all:
- Healthcare providers including doctors, dentists, medical professionals, nursing homes and extended care facilities
- Health plans and insurance providers including Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and insurance companies
- Healthcare information clearinghouses and databases which process and format health information to and for others
Protecting a Patient’s Right to Privacy
It has become quite commonplace for healthcare providers, physicians and insurance companies to transmit a variety of personal health information. This communication may increase the speed and quality of healthcare delivered, but it also raises genuine risks to patient privacy. The HIPAA compliance attorneys at the Watkins Firm understand the realities of clinical and operational environments and the heavy demands placed upon you and your organization every day. Patient health records must be protected and confidential while being accessible and available for release to appropriate organizations and medical professionals.
The good news is HIPPA regulations provide extensive detail on the information which must be protected and the manner in which this must be accomplished. The HIPAA Privacy Rule explains how patient information is to be shared to ensure the proper delivery of medical care and services. The HIPAA Privacy Rule and federal civil rights laws protect patients who wish to keep their health information private.
Patient Releases
A properly formatted release must be obtained from the patient authorizing the release of medical records. If there is an issue with security, inadvertent disclosure or the improper release of information the patient must be notified within 60 days of the discovery of the breach.
Contact Experienced San Diego HIPAA Compliance Attorneys at the Watkins Firm
What action must you take to secure not only the patient information and medical records but the storage devices where the information is kept? The HIPAA compliance and healthcare law attorneys at the Watkins Firm provide advice to reduce or eliminate the possibility for a patient’s data to be mishandled while ensuring regulatory compliance with all aspects of HIPAA law.
We invite you to review our podcast episode 37 – Healthcare Governance and Compliance as well as the strong recommendations of our clients and contact the Watkins Firm or call 858-535-1511 for a complimentary consultation today.
Learn about the medical business and healthcare services offered by the Watkins Firm and how we can help your medical practice, clinic, facility or information clearing house to become and remain HIPAA compliant.