HIPAA Compliance and Security at Outsource2india

HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was mandated in 1996 and took effect in 2003. In an outsourcing arrangement with a healthcare BPO vendor, compliance to HIPAA rules is an effective way of measuring the vendor's credibility and expertise.

Among the many rules stipulated in HIPAA, the ones concerning privacy, security and healthcare compliance are deemed important by medical outsourcing experts.

HIPAA compliance at Outsource2india

Outsource2india is 100% HIPAA and HIPAA 5010 compliant and has taken measures to see that data security and confidentiality in an outsourcing relationship are given as much as priority as the project itself. Healthcare compliance, in outsourcing particularly, includes handling important and sensitive patient information. From secure systems and compliance training to confidentiality agreements, we cover all the important aspects involved in HIPAA 4010 and HIPAA 5010 regulations.

1. Data Security

High security firewalls and access logged computers restrict the movement of information and lock it down to the computer in which the personnel are working on. In cases, where the client requests that we work on their servers, we operate remotely through the customer's computer, nullifying the risk of data-theft. Email access is restricted or banned for process executives working on a healthcare project when handling client data. Access to floppy drives and USB drives are not allowed.

2. HIPAA Training

The programmers we employ for our healthcare BPO division are highly skilled and are trained on the latest in international coding standards. The coders have varying levels of experience and expertise and most of them are certified by the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC). The coders at Outsource2india are constantly updated with the latest methodologies as they get reports from associations like the AAPC.

3. Physical Security

A security officer manages the security of systems, security policy implementation and protected health information (PHI). Our personnel are screened for any data capture devices so that no sensitive information is compromised. We also use digital copies for exchanging data so that no paper printouts can change hands. Round-the-clock security guards ensure that our buildings are totally secure.

4. Employee Background Checks & Confidentiality Agreements

Before hiring, we conduct extensive background checks on the past history of people selected into our company. New employees are given access privileges depending on the work that they are assigned to. All employees are provided with general access credentials to enter the office and also the access their computers. Additionally all our staffs are required to sign confidentiality agreements.

Our health care services employees receive privacy and confidentiality training as a mandate by HIPAA. Regular audits of HIPAA compliance solutions programs and formulation of corrective plans to address any violation of compliance is observed.

Other HIPAA compliance initiatives adopted at Outsource2india

Apart from the security measures mentioned above, we have also adopted the following initiatives that help us to stay fully compliant with HIPAA provisions:

• Patient data is neither shared with unauthorized employees nor leaked outside the company
• The coding department at Outsource2india and the coding process that we follow is HIPAA compliant
• We subscribe and purchase books and medical journals, as recommended by the American medical association (AMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO)
• Both our diagnostic and procedural coding follow strict guidelines
• We ensure that coding is not based on the reimbursement value of the codes

Learn more about HIPAA 5010 compliance at O2I.

Contact us to know more about the healthcare BPO that we offer. At Outsource2india, we can assure you risk free outsourcing experience.