Compliance Tips

ComplyAssistant’s Gerry Blass comments on managing vendor relationships with due diligence and the importance of cybersecurity breach response plans in

The evolution of the risk of successful cyberattacks has been evident since 2010—when the Affordable Care Act was signed and resulted in a transition from paper to electronic medical records. Healthcare organizations began implementing new electronic medical record applications to comply with meaningful use (MU) requirements. Over the years, MU has introduced new criteria with a heavy focus on interoperability among applications. The combination of MU efforts, merger and acquisition activity, and the pandemic-induced remote workforce have increased healthcare organizations’ risk profiles, remaining a prime target for cyberattackers to do what they do best.

Investments in cybersecurity will remain a top priority for healthcare executives. There are three specific gaps for provider organizations to watch in the year ahead: vendor risk management, internal audits, and disaster recovery plans.

Health care investments in privacy and security are set to explode in the wake of ongoing cyberattacks and rising risk. Know the three most important risk areas to fortify and be prepared for the 2023 surge.

Cybersecurity threats in healthcare have posed serious risks and challenges for years. As a result, the government recognized the need to regulate access to electronic protected health information, or ePHI. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act were designed and implemented as national standards for the privacy of protected health information, the security of ePHI, and breach notification to consumers. These rules include risk assessment and risk management by covered entities.

The use of health information technology becomes more prevalent in healthcare every day. As with most things, this presents pros and cons. New technologies offer opportunities and benefits for consumers, but they also present risks to consumer privacy

Critical applications, medical devices, protected health information (PHI), patient safety, and lives are all at risk when extended downtime occurs. The question is, are you and your team prepared?

In a recent Health Financial Management Association article, our very own Gerry Blass gives voice to the importance of a commitment to cybersecurity.