Automated SaaS Based Solution to attain Healthcare Compliance

							       Automated SaaS Based Solution to attain Healthcare Compliance


The United States government signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
commonly referred to as the Stimulus or the Recovery Act on February 17 2009 to help the country
recover from recession. With the ARRA act, the government dreamt of revamping the infrastructure and
thereby making the country more self-sufficient so that the Americans can face any problems with their
heads held high.


The basis for the ARRA act was the Keynesian macroeconomic theory, which stated that during recessions
there would be considerable reduction in private spending. In such circumstances, the government should
try to keep a balance by increasing public spending. Such a move helps to save more jobs thereby
preventing further economic decline.


The purpose of ARRA act was to:



        Save and create more jobs thereby facilitate economic revival
        Extend economic aid to those greatly affected by recession
        Invest in sectors such as education, health, infrastructure and green energy that provide long
        term economic benefits
        Encourage technological advancements in science and health and then provide investments to
        increase economic competence




With the introduction of ARRA act, two other federal laws known as the HIPAA HITECH acts also came
into effect. These two acts were enacted to ensure healthcare compliance. With the incidence of healthcare
fraud reaching alarming levels, government made the ARRA and the HIPPA HITECH acts binding on all
medical practitioners, healthcare providers, and business associates.


The HIPAA/HITECH Act
The HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was enacted to protect the health
insurance coverage for employees and workers when they change or lose their jobs and to check fraud and
abuse within the healthcare system.


The HITECH or the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act was enacted to
encourage the use of technology in the healthcare industry. With a great percentage of the healthcare
providers such as doctors, Dentists, Chiropractors, Psychologists, Nurses and so on involved in healthcare
fraud and since they handle Patient Health Information (PHI) more than anyone else does, government
had no other choice but to enact tough laws to protect patient health records from falling into wrong
hands.


With the enactment of these laws


         Covered entities and business associates had to prove that they are using appropriate PHI-
         handling processes
         Covered entities must possess written agreements and proof-of-compliance documentation from
         all Business Associates and subcontractors
         Organizations need to implement appropriate safety measures to prevent unauthorized access
         and disclosure of sensitive patient data




Health providers can now relax as they can easily achieve HIPAA/HITECH compliance with the help of a
unique inexpensive and automated SaaS based solution that not only helps in identifying the problem
areas but also aids in fixing it, thereby ensuring complete data protection.


Also read on - Governance risk, PCI Compliance