Navigating Compliance: Understanding HIPAA and PCI Regulations

HIPAA and PCI Compliance

Cybercrimes such as data theft and hacking personal information from a system have increased in the healthcare sector over the years. The victims here are the hospital authorities, patients, and even health insurance companies. There have been several instances of hacking patients’ personal information from healthcare systems across the US. The HIPAA Journal states that such crimes have risen significantly over the last 14 years. For instance, 725 breaches were reported in 2023, wherein 133 million records were exposed or accessed in an unauthorized manner. The U.S. law Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was designed to safeguard sensitive patient health information. Under this law, healthcare providers, insurers, and related businesses need to ensure that medical records and personal health data are securely handled, stored, and shared. This post offers insights into various aspects of HIPAA compliance solutions and more. 

HIPAA and PCI Compliance

Overview of HIPAA Compliance

When healthcare units and insurance companies comply with HIPAA regulations, it helps safeguard sensitive patient information from unauthorized access, breaches, or misuse. The law comprises administrative, physical, and technical security measures. HIPAA offers patients improved control over their health records, such as accessing their information and knowing who has viewed it. This helps improve the credibility of healthcare units and build the patient’s trust.  The law prioritizes privacy and security in healthcare and promotes a standard and efficient approach to data protection. While the patients’ personal and medical data is protected under HIPAA, their financial transactions for bill payments done using credit or debit cards are protected under PCI compliance. The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council (SSC) regulates the data security standards and requirements under PCI compliance. PCI SSC is a consortium of all the major brands of cards such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and more that enhances data security pertaining to financial transactions done through the cards. The latest Version 4.0 of this compliance was released in 2023.

How to Achieve HIPAA and PCI Compliances?

First, an understanding of both the HIPAA law and PCI standards is crucial for all the concerned entities in the healthcare industry across the US that handle sensitive data. Here are some pointers in this regard.

  • Read all the documentation regarding PCI compliances available in the PCI SSC library online. Also, read through HIPAA law regulations. The complete suite contains the following points:
    • Transactions and Code Set Standards
    • Identifier Standards
    • Privacy Rule
    • Security Rule
    • Enforcement Rule
    • Breach Notification Rule
  • The HIPAA law was passed in 1996 in a bid to offer people better access to healthcare, safeguard their private data, and promote standardization and efficiency in the healthcare industry. It is regulated by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
  • It is essential for businesses in the healthcare industry to know how to handle, store, and share confidential health and financial information, and understand HIPAA and PCI objectives to meet compliance requirements. Understanding HIPAA and PCI helps businesses apply the same in terms of the operations and data handling practices followed in their organizations. Here are the specifications and requirements for achieving HIPAA and PCI compliance.
  • HIPAA Compliance
    The scope of HIPAA encompasses all forms of patient health information, such as safeguarding digitally stored data, paper-based documentation, and even verbally shared data.
    • Administrative: This part enlists the policies and procedures to manage, develop, and maintain security measures, which helps businesses choose and apply the ones that fit their system. This part also includes performing risk analysis, implementing staff training programs, and developing incident response plans to address and curb security breaches.
    • Physical: This part encompasses the actual physical aspects such as controlling entry of individuals to restricted areas, locking doors, restricting access to facilities where such confidential data is stored, and safely destroying old documents containing patient health information (PHI).
    • Technical: This part encompasses the digital or electronic measures to safeguard patients’ data. Some of these aspects include digital access controls, audit trails, encryption, implementing a robust software, and more.
  • PCI Compliance
    The scope of PCI encompasses all the stages of payment systems and networks such as physical access controls and digital security measures that safeguard cardholders’ data in all stages of the transaction process.
    • To meet PCI compliance requirements, businesses need to build and maintain a secure and robust network, implement firewalls and secure configurations to be able to safeguard patients’ credit or debit card information and concerned financial data. Here, encrypting the card data is crucial.
    • Businesses need to address such vulnerabilities by updating and patching their systems regularly. They must grant access to card information only to individuals authorized to access such sensitive information.
    • The networks and software systems must undergo regular maintenance and testing to identify possible security breaches.
    • Businesses must develop a comprehensive policy and ensure to align their procedures and practices with PCI compliance. They must also train their staff in this regard.

How Healthcare Units Can Safeguard Data Under HIPAA and PCI Compliances

Any hospital or an insurance company can partner with a cybersecurity services company that would help them manage and safeguard confidential data and stay ahead of cybercriminals by implementing proactive threat management solutions. These companies offer HIPAA and PCI compliance solutions that implement encryption, access control, data backup, logging and monitoring, disaster recovery mechanisms, secure communication, and more. These companies perform risk analyses, develop a risk mitigation plan, analyze the existing security procedures and recommend improvements, assess the IT infrastructure, and evaluate HIPAA awareness. Once businesses partner with the right cybersecurity services company, they can relax and focus on their core work.

Why Partner with Data Collaboration Services to Achieve HIPAA and PCI Compliance?

At Data Collaboration Services (DCS), we pride ourselves on being a trusted cybersecurity company offering tailored managed IT services and data security solutions to meet your unique needs. By partnering with us, you can leverage advanced tools and technologies designed to provide continuous protection, rapid detection of unauthorized access, and more. We ensure full compliance with HIPAA and PCI requirements, securely storing, processing, and transmitting sensitive information on your behalf. If you’re looking for reliable HIPAA compliance solutions or PCI compliance solutions to safeguard your healthcare operations, contact our team today to learn how we can help you stay compliant and protected.

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