Standards set for HIPAA privacy accreditation
URAC in Washington, DC, recently released a set of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Accreditation standards for public comment. When completed later this year, the new program is intended to help health care organizations display a commitment to fair information practices, and to demonstrate that they have taken the necessary steps to protect health information privacy in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule, says Garry Carneal, URAC president and CEO; the organization also is known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission. "The purpose of this accreditation program is to verify that an organization has put in place the necessary infrastructure and implemented the necessary processes to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule," he says. "URAC supports fair information practices and recognizes the value that health information privacy adds to the health care process."
Among other benefits, URAC health information Privacy Accreditation will provide value to health care organizations by allowing internal verification of HIPAA privacy compliance efforts, providing a convenient source of industry best practices and certification by external reviewers; and assuring customers/patients that appropriate steps are being taken to protect health information.
"This accreditation program is designed to be relevant to all health care organizations expected to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule," Carneal says. "These include covered entities, business associates, and organizations that, while not legally subject to HIPAA, still wish to validate their HIPAA compliance program. Since different organization types need to comply with certain HIPAA requirements, we intend to take a situational approach in determining which of the HIPAA Privacy Accreditation standards apply."
URAC HIPAA Privacy Accreditation will last for two years, at which time the accredited organization will submit a reaccreditation application and be reviewed by URAC before accreditation is granted for another two years.
[For more information, contact:
• URAC, 1275 K St. N.W., Washington, DC 20005. Telephone: (202) 216-9010.]
URAC in Washington, DC, recently released a set of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Accreditation standards for public comment. When completed later this year, the new program is intended to help health care organizations display a commitment to fair information practices, and to demonstrate that they have taken the necessary steps to protect health information privacy.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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