The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets national standards for protecting sensitive patient health information. All healthcare organizations and their business associates must comply with HIPAA rules and establish safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to protected health information (PHI). The people at Find-A-Code.com say that as medical coders manage patient records daily, HIPAA compliance is an essential part of their job.
What is PHI?
PHI refers to individually identifiable health information transmitted or maintained in any form or medium. This includes demographic data relating to the past, present or future physical/mental condition of an individual. Common examples of PHI are name, address, birth date, Social Security number, payment details, treatment notes, lab test results, and other health-related information.
HIPAA Compliance Standards
The HIPAA privacy rule outlines national standards for protecting medical records and other PHI of patients. Healthcare organizations and business associates must establish safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, use or disclosure of PHI.
Some key requirements for HIPAA compliance are:
- Notice of Privacy Practices – Providers must give patients a notice explaining how their PHI may be used and disclosed as well as their rights under HIPAA.
- Staff Training – Employees must undergo regular training on HIPAA regulations and the organization’s privacy/security policies.
- Data Encryption – PHI transmitted electronically must be encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
- Access Controls – Authentication methods like passwords must restrict access to PHI only to authorized users.
- Audit Controls – Systems keeping track of activity on health records enable catching security breaches.
- Breach Notification – Patients must receive written notice if their unsecured PHI gets compromised due to a breach.
HIPAA Compliance for Medical Coders
Medical coders manage patient health records daily that contain sensitive PHI, such as diagnoses, procedures, lab tests, etc. They must take precautions to prevent privacy or security violations of patients’ protected health information.
Some key areas to ensure HIPAA compliance as a medical coder include:
Safeguarding Patient Records
Medical coders often need to take home patient records overnight or over the weekend to catch up their coding tasks. However, removing records from a healthcare facility can expose PHI if lost or stolen. Medical coding professionals should follow HIPAA guidelines regarding breaches. They may use secure, password protected systems to get electronic access to records remotely instead of paper copies.
Limiting PHI Accessibility
Coders should only access the minimum necessary patient information required to perform their job. They must understand when to use or disclose PHI as permitted by law and organizational policies for ‘treatment, payment or healthcare operations’. Their work devices may limit accessibility only to the necessary software applications for coding tasks.
Following Privacy Safeguards
Medical coding areas in healthcare facilities normally have more restricted access given the confidential patient data accessible there. Coders are trained to safeguard system passwords and lock access to their workstations when leaving their desk. Any printed documents containing PHI must be promptly picked up from printers and safely discarded after use in locked containers.
Staying Current on Updates
HIPAA regulations may see revisions over time or include clarifications on how they apply to the healthcare industry. Coders should participate in regular compliance training provided by healthcare organizations to stay updated. They must also comply with their employers’ policies and state regulations related to medical records and privacy.
Conclusion
HIPAA established strict rules around patient privacy and health information security that medical coders must follow. Taking proactive measures for safeguarding PHI as required by law means coders play an important role in helping healthcare organizations achieve HIPAA compliance. Their privacy and security controls around patient health information also build patient trust. Ultimately this supports better quality of care and health outcomes.
