Many professions have laws and regulations that must be followed. The world of dentistry is no different. If you also own a dental practice, you have an increased responsibility to stay up to speed with laws and regulations because not knowing the rules won’t get you out of trouble when you break one. For all individuals working in the dental field, Bryant Consultants compiled this list of expected changes to HIPAA laws.
What is HIPAA?
HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Passed in 1996, this law created national standards to prevent patients’ sensitive health information from being discussed without the consent or knowledge of the patients. Last year, changes to HIPAA were proposed but have yet to be passed.
What changes are proposed?
One of the key proposed changes would strengthen individuals’ rights to inspect their public health information, or PHI, in person. This would grant patients access to take notes, photos, or videos of their health information, including dental records and X-rays.
Another proposed change would limit a healthcare provider’s response time to a HIPAA request to 15 calendar days—half of the current 30-day restriction, although certain state laws currently mandate response times of fewer than 30 days.
Other potential changes to HIPAA laws include the following:
- Stipulating scenarios where patients may access their electronic PHI at no charge.
- Providing clarification on the form and format of PHI that will be supplied in response to an individual’s request.
- Requiring providers to post estimated fee schedules online, as well as individual itemized estimates for any new requests for PHI.
What would these HIPAA changes mean for you?
Any time HIPAA law changes, that means you will need to update the Notice of Privacy Practices or NPP that you send to patients. Remember, your NPP has to be displayed prominently in your office and on your practice website.
Staying in compliance with existing privacy and security guidelines is key. The HIPAA Safe Harbor Act provides an incentive for this compliance, as it means leniency with fines and other enforcement if you ever experience a breach in government-recognized security measures. However, failing to remain in HIPAA compliance still will have you subject to potential fines and other penalties if the violations are discovered.
Remember, it is ultimately up to you, as the provider, to ensure HIPAA compliance.
Dental industry expertise
Not sure if you’re still HIPAA compliant? Now is a great time to perform a “check-up.” The pros at Bryant Consultants can help. Our team of consultants has decades of combined experience in the dental industry and expertise in various aspects of running a practice, including remaining in compliance with HIPAA law. Remember, it’s been nearly a decade since HIPAA policies changed, so logic would dictate revisions are coming sooner rather than later.
You owe it to yourself, your team, your patients, and the practice you have built to remain compliant with all HIPAA guidelines. To take the next step, contact Bryant Consultants online or by calling (877) 768-4799 to schedule your consultation today. We provide consultation, training, and coaching virtually or in person. To ensure that you receive the latest updates, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
