HIPAA Audit and Enforcement Update - Be Prepared to Answer Questions

Why Should You Attend:

In this webinar we will discuss the HIPAA audit and enforcement programs and how they work, and discuss the areas that caused the most issues in prior audits and enforcement actions. We will explore what kind of issues and what kind of entities had the most problems, and show where entities need to improve their compliance the most. We will also explore the typical risk issues that lead to breaches of health information and see how those issues may become a target for auditors in the next round.

Knowing what questions are likely to be asked and have been asked at prior HIPAA compliance audits can make preparing for and surviving a HIPAA audit much easier. USDHHS has published the updated protocol being used for the HIPAA audits, so it is possible to know how to prepare for an audit. Nearly any health care covered entity may be subject to an audit or enforcement investigation; all entities need to know what kinds of questions they’ll be asked, what information they'll need to provide and how to prevent issues that could lead to violations and fines. We will examine the updated HIPAA Audit Protocol as well as other questionnaires that have been used in the past and may be used to help prepare an organization for a future review.

This webinar will discuss what information and documentation must be prepared in advance so that you can be ready for an audit or enforcement review at any time, including sample information request forms and questions asked at prior audits. The session will also cover how to know if you may become the subject of an audit or enforcement action, and what you can do to help limit your exposure. We will discuss how most enforcement actions come about and what can be done to prevent incidents that lead to enforcement activity.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• What the audit process is, what HHS OCR is likely to ask you if you are selected for an audit or compliance review, and what you’ll have to have prepared already when they do
• How to make the HIPAA Audit Protocol useful as a way to organize and track your compliance work, and collect your documentation references
• What you’ll need to have documented to survive an audit or compliance review and avoid fines
• How to use an information security management process to evaluate risks and make decisions about how best to protect PHI and meet patient needs and desires
• Policies and procedures you should have in place
• The training and education that must take place and be documented to ensure your staff uses health information properly and does not risk exposure of PHI

Who Will Benefit:

This webinar will provide valuable assistance to all personnel in Medical offices, practice groups, hospitals, academic medical centers, insurers, business associates (shredding, data storage, systems vendors, billing services, etc). the titles are:

• Compliance director
• CEO
• CFO
• Privacy Officer
• Security Officer
• Information Systems Manager
• HIPAA Officer
• Chief Information Officer
• Health Information Manager
• Healthcare Counsel/lawyer
• Office Manager
• Contracts Manager

Jim Sheldon-Dean
Principal and Director of Compliance Services, Lewis Creek Systems, LLC

Jim Sheldon-Dean is the founder and director of compliance services at Lewis Creek Systems, LLC, a Vermont-based consulting firm founded in 1982, providing information privacy and security regulatory compliance services to a wide variety of health care entities. He is a frequent speaker regarding HIPAA, including speaking engagements at numerous regional and national healthcare association conferences and conventions and the annual NIST/OCR HIPAA Security Conference. Sheldon-Dean has more than 17 years of experience specializing in HIPAA compliance, more than 35 years of experience in policy analysis and implementation, business process analysis, information systems and software development, and eight years of experience doing hands-on medical work as a Vermont certified volunteer emergency medical technician. Sheldon-Dean received his B.S. degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Vermont and his master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Topic Background:

HIPAA enforcement and audits are now a significant reality, and settlements for violations are being announced more and more frequently. Now, with the increases in breach reporting and the new random audit program under way, enforcement of HIPAA is something that every HIPAA entity and business associate needs to be aware of and prepared for, by taking the proper steps in advance to have your compliance in order and the documentation to prove it.

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