With increasing reliance on technology to streamline hospital’s tasks, improve patient care, and to manage huge amounts of patient sensitive information, practices should prioritize healthcare security compliance more than even before.

Healthcare compliance is a broad term where practices take massive efforts to ensure that they are meeting the necessary protocols, procedures, processes, measures, and staffing to avoid any fraudulent activities and misuse within their operations. Its primary goal is to ensure that organizations fulfill the legal, professional, and ethical obligations imposed by various healthcare regulations.

In this blog, we will look into the problems that practices struggle with lacking healthcare security compliance, potential risks involved, and the solutions to tackle those challenges.

Introduction: The Importance of Healthcare Compliance

Practices should manage patient’s sensitive data including patient demographics, medical histories, insurance data, and financial records. Based on the 2023 Data Breach Report from Ponemon Institute, the healthcare institutions got the highest average cost per breach which is around $10.93 million. (add in intro and merge and change the no.) 

With this rising healthcare patient data breaches, practices should urge to set up robust healthcare security compliance measures to safeguard sensitive patient data. The necessity for healthcare compliance is critical with the growing complexity of regulations. That is why healthcare organizations are required to meet various requirements and frameworks, making it imperative to adopt a comprehensive approach to security compliance. 

healthcare cybersecurity compliance

Source: IBM: Average Cost of a Healthcare Data Breach Increases to Almost $11 Million By Steve Alder on Jul 24, 2023 (The HIPAA Journal)

Problems Faced by Healthcare Practices Without Security Compliance

Practices that neglect to prioritize healthcare security compliance often face significant problems that can negatively impact their overall revenue and patient relationships. Some of the problems that they face include: – (add more conversational tone (I, me, thoughts) ( add image source for statistics) 

Cyberattacks & Privacy Breach in Healthcare

In 2023, healthcare providers have reported to the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights about the theft/unlawful exposure of 133 million data records. As such an incident occurred in healthcare, it ended with significant financial and reputational losses through compliance penalties and lawsuits. However, the issue still stands: why are these high numbers? 

privacy breach in healthcare

Source: Healthcare Data Breach Statistics By Steve Alder on Sep 24, 2024 The HIPAA Journal

Rank Name of Covered Entity Year Covered Entity Type Individuals Affected Type of Breach 
1 Anthem Inc. 2015 Health Plan 78,800,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
2 American Medical Collection Agency 2019 Business Associate 26,059,725 Hacking/IT Incident 
3 Welltok, Inc. 2023 Business Associate 14,762,475 Hacking/IT Incident 
4 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. 2024 Health Plan 13,400,000 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
5 Optum360, LLC 2019 Business Associate 11,500,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
6 HCA Healthcare 2023 Business Associate 11,270,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
7 Premera Blue Cross 2015 Health Plan 11,000,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
8 Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings dba LabCorp 2019 Healthcare Provider 10,251,784 Hacking/IT Incident 
9 Excellus Health Plan, Inc. 2015 Health Plan 9,358,891 Hacking/IT Incident 
10 Maximus, Inc. 2023 Business Associate 9,179,226 Hacking/IT Incident 
11 Perry Johnson & Associates, Inc., which does business as PJ&A 2023 Business Associate 8,952,212 Hacking/IT Incident 
12 Managed Care of North America (MCNA) 2023 Business Associate 8,861,076 Hacking/IT Incident 
13 Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporations 2014 Healthcare Provider 6,121,158 Hacking/IT Incident 
14 PharMerica Corporation 2023 Healthcare Provider 5,815,591 Hacking/IT Incident 
15 Science Applications International Corporation (SA 2011 Business Associate 4,900,000 Loss 
16 HealthEC LLC 2023 Business Associate 4,656,293 Hacking/IT Incident 
17 Community Health Systems Professional Services Corporation 2014 Business Associate 4,500,000 Theft 
18 University of California, Los Angeles Health 2015 Healthcare Provider 4,500,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
19 HealthEquity, Inc. 2024 Business Associate 4,300,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
20 Reventics, LLC 2023 Business Associate 4,212,823 Hacking/IT Incident 
21 20/20 Eye Care Network, Inc 2021 Business Associate 4,142,440 Hacking/IT Incident 
22 OneTouchPoint, Inc. 2022 Business Associate 4,112,892 Hacking/IT Incident 
23 Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing 2023 Health Plan 4,091,794 Hacking/IT Incident 
24 Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation, d/b/a Advocate Medical Group 2013 Healthcare Provider 4,029,530 Theft 
25 Concentra Health Services, Inc. 2024 Healthcare Provider 3,998,163 Hacking/IT Incident 
26 Banner Health 2016 Healthcare Provider 3,620,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
27 Medical Informatics Engineering 2015 Business Associate 3,500,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
28 Florida Healthy Kids Corporation 2021 Health Plan 3,500,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
29 Newkirk Products, Inc. 2016 Business Associate 3,466,120 Hacking/IT Incident 
30 Regal Medical Group, Lakeside Medical Organization, ADOC Acquisition, & Greater Covina Medical Group 2023 Healthcare Provider 3,388,856 Hacking/IT Incident 
31 Trinity Health 2020 Business Associate 3,320,726 Hacking/IT Incident 
32 CareSource 2023 Business Associate 3,180,537 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
33 Cerebral, Inc 2023 Business Associate 3,179,835 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
34 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2024 Health Plan 3,112,815 Hacking/IT Incident 
35 NationsBenefits Holdings, LLC 2023 Business Associate 3,037,303 Hacking/IT Incident 
36 Advocate Aurora Health 2022 Healthcare Provider 3,000,000 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
37 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care 2023 Health Plan 2,967,396 Hacking/IT Incident 
38 Dominion Dental Services, Inc., Dominion National Insurance Company, and Dominion Dental Services USA, Inc. 2019 Health Plan 2,964,778 Hacking/IT Incident 
39 Lincare Holdings Inc. 2021 Healthcare Provider 2,918,444 Hacking/IT Incident 
40 Acadian Ambulance Service 2024 Healthcare Provider 2,896,985 Hacking/IT Incident 
41 Navvis & Company, LLC 2023 Business Associate 2,824,726 Hacking/IT Incident 
42 A&A Services d/b/a Sav-Rx 2024 Business Associate 2,812,336 Hacking/IT Incident 
43 ESO Solutions, Inc. 2023 Business Associate 2,700,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
44 Connexin Software, Inc. 2022 Business Associate 2,675,934 Hacking/IT Incident 
45  AccuDoc Solutions, Inc. 2018 Business Associate 2,652,537 Hacking/IT Incident 
46 NEC Networks, LLC d/b/a CaptureRx 2021 Business Associate 2,600,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
47 Smile Brands, Inc. 2021 Business Associate 2,592,494 Hacking/IT Incident 
48 WebTPA Employer Services, LLC (“WebTPA”) 2024 Business Associate 2,518,533 Hacking/IT Incident 
49 Enzo Clinical Labs, Inc. 2023 Healthcare Provider 2,470,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
50 Florida Health Sciences Center, Inc. dba Tampa General Hospital 2023 Healthcare Provider 2,430,920 Hacking/IT Incident 
51 Forefront Dermatology, S.C. 2021 Healthcare Provider 2,413,553 Hacking/IT Incident 
52 INTEGRIS Health 2024 Healthcare Provider 2,385,646 Hacking/IT Incident 
53 Shields Health Care Group, Inc. 2022 Business Associate 2,380,483 Hacking/IT Incident 
54 Postmeds, Inc. 2023 Healthcare Provider 2,364,359 Hacking/IT Incident 
55 Medical Management Resource Group, L.L.C. 2024 Business Associate 2,350,236 Hacking/IT Incident 
56 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2023 Health Plan 2,342,357 Hacking/IT Incident 
57 21st Century Oncology 2016 Healthcare Provider 2,213,597 Hacking/IT Incident 
58 Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, LLC 2023 Business Associate 2,068,426 Hacking/IT Incident 
59 Xerox State Healthcare, LLC 2014 Business Associate 2,000,000 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
60 Arietis Health, LLC 2023 Business Associate 1,975,066 Hacking/IT Incident 
61 Great Expressions Dental Centers 2023 Healthcare Provider 1,925,397 Hacking/IT Incident 
62 Professional Finance Company, Inc. 2022 Business Associate 1,918,941 Hacking/IT Incident 
63 IBM 2011 Business Associate 1,900,000 Unknown 
64 Apria Healthcare LLC 2022 Healthcare Provider 1,868,831 Hacking/IT Incident 
65 Pension Benefit Information, LLC 2023 Business Associate 1,866,694 Hacking/IT Incident 
66 Performance Health Technology 2023 Business Associate 1,752,076 Hacking/IT Incident 
67 Clinical Pathology Laboratories, Inc. 2019 Healthcare Provider 1,733,836 Hacking/IT Incident 
68 Dental Care Alliance, LLC 2020 Business Associate 1,723,375 Hacking/IT Incident 
69 GRM Information Management Services 2011 Business Associate 1,700,000 Theft 
70 Baptist Medical Center 2022 Healthcare Provider 1,608,549 Hacking/IT Incident 
71 Inmediata Health Group, Corp. 2019 Healthcare Clearing House 1,565,338 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
72 Eskenazi Health 2021 Healthcare Provider 1,515,918 Hacking/IT Incident 
73 Community Health Network, Inc. as an Affiliated Covered Entity 2022 Healthcare Provider 1,500,000 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
74 The Kroger Co. 2021 Healthcare Provider 1,474,284 Hacking/IT Incident 
75 EyeMed Vision Care LLC 2020 Business Associate 1,474,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
76 MEDNAX Services, Inc. 2020 Business Associate 1,442,997 Hacking/IT Incident 
77 Iowa Health System d/b/a UnityPoint Health 2018 Business Associate 1,421,107 Hacking/IT Incident 
78 St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System, Inc. 2021 Healthcare Provider 1,400,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
79 Novant Health Inc. 2022 Business Associate 1,362,296 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
80 North Broward Hospital District d/b/a Broward Health 2022 Healthcare Provider 1,351,431 Hacking/IT Incident 
81 Prospect Medical Holdings, Inc. 2023 Business Associate 1,309,096 Hacking/IT Incident 
82 University Medical Center of Southern Nevada 2021 Healthcare Provider 1,300,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
83 CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield 2015 Health Plan 1,300,000 Hacking/IT Incident 
84 Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center 2022 Healthcare Provider 1,290,104 Hacking/IT Incident 
85 Geisinger 2024 Healthcare Provider 1,276,026 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
86 American Anesthesiology, Inc. 2021 Healthcare Provider 1,269,074 Hacking/IT Incident 
87 Scripps Health 2021 Healthcare Provider 1,267,639 Hacking/IT Incident 
88 Employees Retirement System of Texas 2018 Health Plan 1,248,263 Unauthorized Access/Disclosure 
89 INTEGRIS Health, Inc. 2019 Healthcare Provider 1,245,218 Loss 
90 Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services 2023 Health Plan 1,229,333 Hacking/IT Incident 
91 PurFoods, LLC 2023 Healthcare Provider 1,229,333 Hacking/IT Incident 
92 UNM Health 2021 Healthcare Provider 1,228,093 Hacking/IT Incident 
93 Nuance Communications, Inc. 2023 Business Associate 1,225,054 Hacking/IT Incident 
94 AvMed, Inc. 2010 Health Plan 1,220,000 Theft 
95 Professional Business Systems, Inc., d/b/a Practicefirst Medical Management Solutions and PBS Medcode Corp., 2021 Business Associate 1,210,688 Hacking/IT Incident 
96 Doctors’ Center Hospital 2022 Healthcare Provider 1,195,220 Hacking/IT Incident 
97 Baesman Group, Inc. 2023 Business Associate 1,170,094 Hacking/IT Incident 
98 Presbyterian Healthcare Services 2019 Healthcare Provider 1,120,629 Hacking/IT Incident 
99 JDC Healthcare Management LLC 2021 Healthcare Provider 1,077,635 Hacking/IT Incident 
100 Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services 2014 Health Plan 1,062,509 Hacking/IT Incident 
101 The Nemours Foundation 2011 Healthcare Provider 1,055,489 Loss 
102 Inova Health System 2020 Healthcare Provider 1,045,270 Hacking/IT Incident 
103 Wolverine Solutions Group 2018 Business Associate 1,024,731 Hacking/IT Incident 
104 BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc. 2010 Health Plan 1,023,209 Theft 
105 Magellan Health Inc. 2020 Health Plan 1,013,956 Hacking/IT Incident 

Source: Healthcare Data Breach Statistics (The HIPAA Journal)

Firstly, healthcare institutions are major targets for cyberattacks, considering the fact of valuable patient information in the black market. Secondly, the data protection strategies often do not meet the required standards.  

The lack of effective healthcare cybersecurity compliance protocols leaves healthcare practices exposed to various cyber threats, including phishing attacks, ransomware, and data exfiltration. 

Loss of Patient Trust

Patient trust is important for the success of any practices. Even a single patient data breach may cause a loss of confidence among your patients, ultimately breaking your trust and decreasing patient retention. Patients would even consider switching providers if their data were comprised. 

When patients no longer trust your practice to protect their sensitive data, it may affect your reputation and financial stability. Ultimately, your patients are less likely to recommend your practice to others, which can affect referrals and overall growth, further compounding reputational harm. 

Financial Penalties and Legal Liabilities

Non-compliance with healthcare industry regulations can lead to severe financial penalties. For instance, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enforces HIPAA compliance and can impose severe fines along with huge penalties. So, what are the HIPAA violations fines? 

  • For unintentional healthcare data security privacy and compliance violations, the OCR charges fine from $100 to $50,000 along with annual penalty of $1,500,000 
  • For healthcare data security privacy and compliance violations due to reasonable cause, the penalty varies from $1,379 to $68,928, along with an annual cap of $2,067,813. 

The financial burden of non-compliance penalties is further exacerbated by legal liabilities, as affected patients may pursue lawsuits against organizations that fail to protect their data adequately. 

Source: OCR Penalties for HIPAA Violations Sep 24, 2024 - The HIPAA Journal

Healthcare Workflow Disruption:

Soon after a data breach in any healthcare organization, there will be a need to shut down temporarily resulting in workflow disruptions and reduced productivity. Based on security concerns, any organization has to go through such a temporary shutdown.  

However, some healthcare practices can be incapacitated for many months, and they may take a longer downtime to come out from a ransomware attack.  

Difficulty in Obtaining Insurance Coverage:

With increasing cyberattacks and ransomware threats, getting cybersecurity insurance has become a challenge for independent medical practice lacking proper cybersecurity compliance protocols. Insurers often ask for the firms to stick to the security standards and regulations before providing you with the required insurance policies. 

Non-compliance may end with charging higher premiums or even coverage denials. Finally, healthcare practices are vulnerable to financial losses in the event of data breach. 

Potential Risks of Ignoring Healthcare Compliance:

Ignoring healthcare security compliance in the healthcare industry may pose a range of risks and consequences. (add all these bullet points and give a brief of topics covered beneath) 

Increased Vulnerability to Cyberattacks

Without compliance measures in place, healthcare organizations are more susceptible to data threats and cyberattacks. Cybercriminals are adept at exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated technology, unpatched software, and inadequate access controls.

Did you know that 83% of healthcare organizations experienced a catastrophic data breach of more than once in just two years?

Yes, IBM has a clear report, and the surprising fact is that only 17% of data breaches were first-time attacks. This enforces the need to protect sensitive patient information using healthcare compliance standards and encryption protocols.

Damage to Reputation: Regulatory Fines

Non-compliance with security regulatory compliance can result in significant fines and reputational damage. The OCR reported that in 2022, it imposed HIPAA compliance violation fines of over $1.5 million. The financial consequences of non-compliance are compounded by reputational damage, as patients and stakeholders may question an organization’s commitment to protecting sensitive data. ( mention source URL)

Legal Ramifications: Breaking Boundaries

Data breaches in healthcare organizations can lead to serious consequences including class action lawsuits and legal ramifications. Did you know that on July 19, 2024, Change Healthcare filed a breach report with OCR about the ransomware attack ended with the breach of PHI? It was a massive attack on PHI leading to 500 affected individuals to be an approximate number. (use HHS remove Change Healthcare) 

This catastrophic data breach led to a federal judicial panel ruling to consolidate nearly 50 lawsuits against Change Healthcare in Minnesota in 2024. Legal battles can be lengthy and costly, diverting resources away from patient care and negatively impacting organizational morale.  but(as per report over US department of healthcare) 

Comprising Patient Safety: Decreased Engagement

Patient Safety must always be the top priority within any healthcare setting be it an independent medical practice or multilocality medical practice. Failure to adhere to important protocols puts your patients at unwanted risks. Moreover, patients are increasingly concerned about their privacy and security.  

In fact, a survey by Accenture found that 64% of patients would consider changing their providers due to data security concerns. Ignoring healthcare security compliance can lead to decreased patient engagement and satisfaction, ultimately affecting the quality of care provided. 

Loss of Competitive Advantage

In an increasingly competitive healthcare landscape, organizations that fail to prioritize healthcare compliance may end up losing their competitive edge. Patients are more likely to choose providers that demonstrate strong security practices and a commitment to safeguarding their information. Non-compliance can result in reduced patient referrals and a decline in market share. ( add change healthcare data breach and its negative impact on their trust/reputation)

Solution: Why Compliance Matters & Why Practices Must Prioritize HIPAA, HITRUST, SOC 2, and GDPR?

CERTIFY Health is a leading practice management platform that recognizes the significance of staying compliant with local, state and federal US regulations. Our platform meets the highest industry standards, that is certified with 

  • HIPAA Compliance 
  • HITRUST 
  • SOC 2 TYPE 2 COMPLIANCE   
  • GDPR 

Meeting all the above healthcare compliances ensures that your practices are free from the above problems and risk factors to handle patient data with the greatest care and security. By Integrating with HIPAA, HITRUST, SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR solutions, your practices can focus on improving your patient experience and revenue collections without worrying about data breaches. 

Before discussing CERTIFY Health and its need for practices to integrate, we will have a detailed discussion about each of these healthcare compliances for better understanding. (what the hospital industry would need to consider help their care industry into – add the point most of the hospitals are compliant with HIPAA, but few are in compliance with HITRUST, SOC 2 – what people oversee is GDPR in US market and majorly oversee someone who is not compliant with all of these 4) 

A Brief Idea About HIPAA, HITRUST, GDPR, and SOC 2 Compliances:

When you understand the reasons behind each of these healthcare compliances, you can eliminate cyberattacks or ransomware attacks. Here is a clearer view at all of them:

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act):

HIPAA compliance

HIPAA is a federal U.S. law enforced in 1996 to protect your patient’s sensitive information. HIPAA compliance sets certain standards to protect an individual’s medical information along with other personal health records.  

The regulatory compliance ensures that health systems, provider groups and other specialties keep patient data confidential and share them only when needed. The necessary conditions would be for the patient’s treatment, payment reasons or other healthcare reasons.  

The law provides rights to patients to access their information and correct their records whenever necessary. HIPAA imposes non–compliance penalties to those who are non-compliant to prevent data breaches and misuse of patient data. 

With HIPAA privacy rule, there are key provisions such as: 

  • Privacy Rule – To protect patient health information (PHI) 
  • Security Rule – To protect electronic PHI (ePHI) 
  • Breach Notification Rule – Covered entities to help affected individuals, and the OCR to address in the event of a data breach. 

HIPPA applies to three types of safeguards to the security rule including: 

  • Technical Safeguards – Utilizing technical solutions like firewalls or encryption tools to prevent data breaches or ePHI disclosure. Examples like monitoring system, audit controls, and more. 
  • Administrative Safeguards – Programs like risks assessments, training sessions, and more taken in a healthcare organization to protect ePHI. 
  • Physical Safeguards – Restricting the physical access to locations inside facilities where ePHI is stored and protected. These may be workstation security controls, access controls, etc. 
HIPAA compliance three rules

Penalties for Non-Compliance HIPAA:

HIPAA outlines several non-compliance penalties for those who are non-compliant and violating the rules. The penalties for non-compliance HIPAA are of four different levels. 

Civil Penalties: 

Level 1: Lack of awareness – It carries a HIPAA violation fines of $100 to $50K per violation, and sometimes maximum of up to $1.5 million per year. 

Level 2: Lack of Due Diligence – It results in a HIPAA Violation fines of amount of $1,000 to $50,000 per violation. 

Level 3: Willfully Default and Neglect taking effort to correct – It incurs a fine amount of $10,000 to $50,000 per violation. 

Level 4: Willfully Neglect without taking corrective action – It carries a penalty of 50,000 per violation, of up to $1.5 million per year. 

What is HITRUST?

HITRUST certification

HITRUST stands for the Health Information Trust Alliance. It is a certifiable framework helping healthcare organizations manage compliance and risks in protecting sensitive data. The main reason behind its development is to create and follow a standardized approach for security information alongside aligning with HIPAA, GDPR regulations.

It provides a scalable framework for practices to follow the best methods in protecting your patient’s data. Furthermore, with HITRUST certification, practices can meet stringent security requirements and ensure assurance of safeguarding protected health information (PHI).

When an organization achieves HITRUST certification, it is easy for them to satisfy 40 more compliance frameworks. Some of them including:

  • HIPAA compliance
  • SOC 2
  • FedRAMP
  • GDPR
  • CCPA
  • PCI DSS

ISO 27001 and NIST 800-53

HITRUST certification is particularly important for practices because:

  • It eases the tasks of managing multiple compliance frameworks like HIPAA, GDPR, etc.
  • It sets a standardized approach to data protection.
  • It improves your confidence in protecting your patient’s sensitive information.

What is SOC 2 Type II?

SOC 2 Type 2

SOC 2 stands for System and Organization Controls. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) developed this framework that comes under one of five sets of standards. With this standard, healthcare practices can easily evaluate that their security, privacy and admin processes are enough.

SOC 2 compliance is significant for C-suite, business partners handling sensitive customer information. It is relevant to healthcare, as its framework aligns closely with HIPAA requirements. The SOC 2 controls have five Trust Services Criteria including:

  • Security
  • Availability
  • Processing Integrity
  • Privacy
  • Confidentiality
SOC 2 five trust controls

Importance of SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance for Healthcare:

SOC 2 Type II compliance is particularly important as it demonstrates to patients that the systems and processes involved in your practices are safe and reliable. With this, all the patient data is completely protected following the set standards and regulations.

Hence, it is evident for healthcare providers to have SOC 2 Type 2 compliance for

  • Protection against data breaches using a robust framework to improve your brand reputation using security controls and processes
  • Maintaining a competitive differentiation to showcase others that you are committed to protecting patient’s sensitive data
  • Streamline internal process to address everyone in your organization to understand their roles and responsibilities in data security

What is GDPR Compliance?

GDPR compliance

GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a comprehensive data protection law developed by the European Union (EU) in May 2018. In addition to safeguarding PHI (Protected Health Information), GDPR regulates personally identifiable information (PII).

GDPR gives EU citizens the various rights to access and change their information. Some of them include:

  • Right to rectify records
  • Right to access personal information
  • Right to delete records
  • Right to restrict data processing
  • Right to data portability

Why GDPR Compliance Matters in US Healthcare?

How does it matter for the US healthcare practices to be compliant with GDPR? Yes, it looks unrelated, but it plays a vital role in cross-border patient data processing. GDPR ensures that your healthcare practices follow stringent security measures and maintains consistent protection standards for patient information.

For U.S healthcare practices, GDPR compliance is not only important but essential as well. Here is how GDPR non-compliance can affect your independent medical practice or an organization.

  • Globalization of Cross-Border Data – Under GDPR, any healthcare practices should comply with its security standards to process or use the personal or health information of EU citizens.
  • Telehealth – If a U.S based telemedicine provider is handling data from an EU citizen, they must stick to GDPR standards, otherwise they will face GDPR non-compliance fine.
  • GDPR Non-compliance Penalties – Though U.S healthcare providers may not come under EU jurisdiction, they will end up with penalties for failing to meet the standards, when handling EU citizen’s data.
  • Security Standards – Eliminate the risks of data breaches and cyberattacks with GDPR compliance, protecting patient information and avoiding the reputational and financial fallout that often follows a security breach.

GDPR Penalties

  • GDPR non-compliance fines may incur up to €10 million or 2% of the worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher, for less severe violations. 
  • Up to €20 million or 4% of the worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher, for more severe violations.

Well, we had a detailed overview of all those compliances that are the utmost important for any healthcare practices.

Now, let us brief you on the things that how integrating with CERTIFY Health helps you achieve and maintain these important regulations.

What is PCI DSS Compliance?

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a global security standard for protecting cardholder data and authentication information. It applies to all sectors, including the healthcare sector, if they accept payment cards.   

PCI DSS compliance requires healthcare providers to securely handle card data, store it with security, and validate compliance annually by methods like Self-Assessment Questionnaires or third-party audits.   

Key Components of PCI DSS Compliance   

  • Handling Card Data: Healthcare providers should collect and transmit sensitive card details securely.   
  • Storing Data Securely: Leverage robust security measures like encryption and monitoring for secure storage.   
  • Validate Compliance: Healthcare providers must validate compliance through forms, audits, and vulnerability scans.   

PCI DSS Non-Compliance Fines:

  • PCI DSS non-compliance fines can range between $5000 and $100,000 per month, depending on the severity and duration of the non-compliance.   
  • Banks or Payment Processors determine the exact cost of penalties, and if not addressed promptly, the amount escalates over time.  
  • Non-compliance also results in potential lawsuits, monthly fines, and bans or listing on the Terminated Merchant File (TMF). 

Why Integrating with CERTIFY Health Guarantees Seamless Compliance?

Healthcare practices that opted for CERTIFY Health have gained access to a comprehensive platform that meets the highest standards of security compliance. Here are some significant benefits that health systems, provider groups, and specialty groups are experiencing by choosing us as their preferred partner:

Meet all Healthcare Compliance Regulations:

CERTIFY Health, a digital intake platform, is following HIPAA, HITRUST, and SOC 2 Type II, and GDPR standards to ensure that we safely protect your patient data through this regulatory compliance. We continually monitor regulatory changes and industry best practices, ensuring that our platform remains compliant in safeguarding patient data.

Ensuring all Security Features

Our platform utilizes advanced security features such as FaceCheck (PPID), data encryption, and regular risk assessments to eliminate data breaches and to protect the sensitive patient’ data. As we implement all these security measures and stringent methods, practices can significantly reduce their risk of data breaches and ransomware attacks, building patient trust and loyalty.

Maintaining Streamlined Workflows

Along with the needed requirement of cybersecurity compliance, CERTIFY Health is the digital solution that streamlines your practice workflows, improving operational efficiency. Our seamless integration with your existing systems and methods allows practices to focus more on patient care alongside ensuring compliance.

Driving Patient-Centric Approach

At CERTIFY Health, we give importance to patient safety and privacy. Our compliance measures are designed not only to meet regulatory requirements but also to foster the patient’s trust and loyalty, promoting patient retention. With our platform, practices can demonstrate their commitment to protecting sensitive patient medical records.

Conclusion: The Imperative of Prioritizing Security Healthcare Compliance

By partnering with CERTIFY Health, we can help your healthcare practice implement robust security compliance measures that align with HIPAA, HITRUST, GDPR, and SOC 2 Type II standards. With our comprehensive solutions and expert guidance, we’re committed to ensuring that your patient data is secure, allowing you to focus on what you do best—delivering quality care.

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, I believe prioritizing security compliance isn’t just a best practice—it’s an absolute necessity. When you choose CERTIFY Health as your trusted partner, we’ll work together to achieve compliance and protect the valuable data of your patients. Let’s navigate the complexities of healthcare security together and build a safer, more secure future for all. – Book a Demo!

FAQs

What are HIPAA penalties for non-compliance?
HIPAA penalties for non-compliance depend on the nature of the violation, its consequences, and who the non-compliant party is. For instance, workforce violations may result in warnings, while Covered Entities can face fines or require technical assistance.
HIPAA fines and penalties are set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Initially related to fraudulent claims, they were expanded in 2005 to cover Privacy and Security Rule violations. Congress increased HIPAA fines and penalties in 2009 through the HITECH Act, and HHS’ Office for Civil Rights adjusted them annually for inflation. However, State Attorney General penalties and criminal violation fines have not increased since the passage of HITECH.
The key difference is that HIPAA is a U.S. law focused on protecting patient health information (PHI) in healthcare, while HITRUST is a global security framework that includes many of HIPAA’s required security controls. Achieving HITRUST certification helps streamline compliance with HIPAA.
The purpose of HITRUST is to provide organizations with a comprehensive framework to protect sensitive data, manage information risks, and ensure compliance with various regulatory requirements, including healthcare and data security standards.

The five SOC 2 trust principles are:

  • Security
  • Availability
  • Processing Integrity
  • Confidentiality
  • Privacy