Past event: Master Class for the HIPAA Officer: Protecting Patient Information and Implementing Today's Privacy, Security, and Breach Regulations Seminar

Day one begins with an overview of the HIPAA regulations including HIPAA Breach Notification and the process that must be used to determine whether or not a breach is reportable, and then continues with presentation of the specifics of the Privacy Rule, recent changes to the rules, and the basics of the Security Rule. Organizational issues and structures, such as hybrid entities, affiliated covered entities (ACEs), organized healthcare arrangements (OHCAs), and HIPAA Business Associates (BAs) are explained.

Rules about Patient Rights and the limitations on uses and disclosures by covered entities will be explained, including recent guidance on access of PHI by individuals and sharing information with family and friends of a patient, particularly in cases of opioid abuse. Discussion will include the impacts of Security issues such as Ransomware and Insider attacks, of the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and other potential changes in the rules, guidance, and implementation.

Day two begins with a detailed examination of HIPAA Security Rule requirements and what must be done to survive audits by the US Department of Health and Human Services, including an examination of how risk analysis can be used to drive compliance by the systematic examination of information flows and mitigation of risks discovered, and an exploration of the official HHS HIPAA Audit Protocol, including how to use the protocol to help manage your compliance work and its documentation.

The day continues with an exploration of typical risks, including Ransomware, modern technologies like texting, e-mail, and portable devices, and issues of planning risk mitigation and the necessary follow-up. Finally, the day concludes with a session on the essential activities of documenting policies, procedures, and activities, training staff and managers in the issues and policies they need to know about, and examining compliance readiness through drills and self-audits, finishing up with a look at long-term compliance planning and making sure you stay ahead of compliance needs.

Why should you attend:

The HIPAA Officer in any HIPAA covered entity has a great deal of responsibility, and the right answers to compliance questions are not always obvious. The HIPAA Regulations carry significant obligations to protect the privacy and security of Protected Health Information, and significant penalties in the millions of dollars can result from non-compliance.

Even if you have worked on your HIPAA compliance in the past, you could be out of compliance today because of the changes to the rules, new guidance, changes in how you do business and manage PHI, changes to the threats to privacy and security, and even changes in other laws and policies not directly related to HIPAA.

All of these changes have an impact on your HIPAA compliance, and if you don't keep up, you are leaving yourself open to complaints and enforcement investigations. The HIPAA Officer needs to be up-to-date on the latest issues and be ready to review all the aspects of HIPAA compliance now, to be sure you are working in the right direction and are addressing the issues of greatest importance.

Areas of the rules that have shown compliance problems in the past are now targeted with guidance and audits to improve and verify compliance. There is new guidance on dealing with issues of opioid incidents. And new threats from insiders and Ransomware could expose or destroy your private information and harm your patients. There is plenty that can go wrong with HIPAA compliance, but with the right training and resources you have a chance to make your patients happy and stay out of trouble.

Who Will Benefit:

• HIPAA Privacy Officers
• HIPAA Security Officers
• Information Security Officers
• Risk Managers
• Compliance Officers
• Privacy Officers
• Health Information Managers
• Information Technology Managers
• Medical Office Managers
• Chief Financial Officers
• Systems Managers
• Legal Counsel
• Operations Directors