The second phase of HIPAA audits are scheduled for early 2016, which is just around the corner.
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The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced that they will be conducting more audits in early 2016. The time is now to prepare your practice for an audit, and to take steps to help avoid an audit.
We help our clients prepare for the worst because all healthcare entities are at risk of an audit.
The audit contract was awarded to FCiFederal and the 2016 audits will cover hospitals, healthcare providers, health plans and business associates.
How can you prepare your practice for a visit from OCR?
First, familiarize your practice with the targeted topics. Look at the OCR website which has listed many of the functions that it will audit in the coming phase.
Next, make sure your risk assessment is in place and up to date.
Train your staff and employees. Review policies and procedures and make sure everyone is aware of the HIPAA officers and knows how to handle a breach.
Make sure that your staff knows to flag communications from OCR so that you can quickly and adequately respond if your practice is selected for an audit.
OCR will look into breach notification rules, risk analysis, safeguards, procedures, and encryption measures.
Make sure to get your practice ready now, before it’s too late.
In our next blog post, we will keep you informed of related issues. To get this important information delivered directly to your mail box, Click here to Subscribe
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