HHS preparing return of HIPAA compliance audits

HIPAA compliance audit program last used in 2017

The U.S. Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights appears poised to re-implement its audit program that randomly checks covered entities and business associates for compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

The HIPAA compliance audit program was last used in 2017.

The Office for Civil Rights, among other roles, enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, which protect health information privacy.

The HHS published a notice in the Federal Register in February proposing to send an online survey to covered entities and business associates that participated in the 2016-2017 HIPAA audit program. The survey will gather information related to the effect of the audits on the audited entities and their opinions about the audit process, which OCR will use to improve the audit process in the future. 

The ADA Complete HIPAA Compliance Kit, available through the ADA Store, helps dentists learn how to develop and implement a compliance program and provide HIPAA training to train themselves and their staff.

The ADA Member Advantage-endorsed Compliancy Group helps ADA members simplify their HIPAA compliance through an all-in-one platform that includes policies and procedures, employee training, risk assessments and more. With unlimited live support, they can  help dental practices avoid HIPAA penalties.