A new platform which simplifies the procedure of searching for HIPAA-compliant business associates has been launched this week. The HIPAA Alliance Market has been developed to match up HIPAA covered objects with reliable dealers that have been impartially confirmed as HIPAA-compliant.
Healthcare companies and their business associates should abide by Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Rules. If a vendor doesn’t comply with HIPAA Rules, their products and services can’t be used.
Searching for HIPAA-compliant business associates can be a test for healthcare companies. An easy Google search will give a long list of possible dealers, however determining whether they are ready to sign a business associate agreement (BAA) and apply safeguards to make sure the secrecy, integrity, and availability of PHI might be a time-consuming procedure.
Once a vendor is found, a business associate agreement should be signed, verifying that HIPAA Rules are agreed and will be followed. Nevertheless, even if a vendor agrees to sign a BAA that’s insufficient. The BAA should be confirmed as being HIPAA-compliant, which generally needs approval from an attorney at law. Therefore finding HIPAA-compliant business associates can be a frustrating, time-consuming, and expensive procedure.
The HIPAA Alliance Market presents an easy solution. Established by the Compliancy Group, the HIPAA Alliance Marketplace is the initial tool of its kind for the healthcare trade – a record of reliable dealers that have been confirmed as being HIPAA-compliant.
In order for a dealer to be included in the HIPAA Alliance Market, they should agree to an audit to prove that they have applied all the required precautions to secure any supplied protected health information. They should have formed HIPAA procedures and policies, and their BAA should meet HIPAA requirements. After qualifying an assessment, the dealer will be issued with a Compliancy Group HIPAA Seal of Approval and will be added to the HIPAA Alliance Market.
Healthcare companies that sign up with the HIPAA Alliance Market can look for a wide range of certified HIPAA-compliant business associates, saving valuable money, time and trouble finding proper service providers and product developers.
Presently, the Market includes EHRs, IT and Managed Service Providers (MSPs), printing and mailing firms, insurers, billing and collection agencies, hosting companies, software and app developers, practice management and patient engagement solutions and much more.
The Market also has substantial benefits for dealers, helping them to set up themselves in the healthcare space as well as attract more healthcare customers.
Jerry Godwin of Optometric Medical Solutions (OMS) said, “In the earlier period, using HIPAA compliance to distinguish my business has opened up new divisions of the health care market in ways I could not have thought –and today the HIPAA Alliance Market is making HIPAA compliance more helpful than ever before. The Market lets us concentrate on boosting cyber-security and providing services for future customers. And the closed-ecosystem of HIPAA compliant retailers decreases the obligation for all parties involved so you can concentrate on increasing your business.
