The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was enacted in 1996. Since its enaction, businesses operating in the healthcare industry and their business partners have been scrambling to ensure every operation they conduct is HIPPA compliant.
HIPPA laws govern how the healthcare and insurance industries, other covered entities, and all their business associates handle patient data. It is imperative businesses are compliant with the laws. To become HIPPA compliant, it is important to understand the ramifications of the law.
With this guide, businesses will learn about the importance of HIPPA compliance while using virtual fax API. They will also feel better equipped to ensure they meet the demands of the law.
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How Does HIPPA Affect Businesses?
One of the biggest stipulations of HIPPA is the proper management of electronic healthcare records. HIPPA laws primarily focus on the security of Protected Health Information (PHI).
Unfortunately, HIPPA laws have no clear stipulations for the management of eSignatures. While no current standard exists, companies are required to ensure any electronic signatures result in a legally binding contract under all applicable laws.
Healthcare organizations have access to tools that can help them with HIPPA compliance, but the ultimate responsibility rests on the shoulders of the business. While these tools make compliance easier, it is up to the business to ensure these tools are used effectively.
Get HIPPA Compliant with eSignature
When it comes to end user agreements, businesses sometimes find it difficult to ensure they remain HIPPA compliant. Companies like mSign are making it easier for companies to remain HIPPA compliant, while ensuring their users can sign and deliver their legally binding signatures that remain compliant with all industry standards, including HIPPA regulations.
What Should Businesses Look for in eSignature Solutions?
Choosing the right eSignature solution is not always a simple process, especially when there are HIPPA laws to follow. When choosing an eSignature solution, companies should look for the following.
Secure Regulatory Compliance
It is important to note that eSignatures, while accepted all over the world, require different framework capabilities, depending on the country and region. Businesses must choose an eSignature solution that offers secure regulatory compliance across different geographic locations.
White-Labeling
Companies like mSign offer white-label solutions that are essential for businesses. With white-labeling, the focus is on branding, which ensures an uninterrupted experience for users.
Identity Assurance
Identity assurance is of top importance for gathering eSignatures. The eSignature solution must have in place, options for collecting evidence, to ensure the user is who they claim.
What Makes eSignatures HIPPA Compliant?
As long as a company remains compliant with their state and county rules and regulations regarding eSignatures, they should be able to remain compliant with all HIPPA laws. Consider the following tips.
- The users must be authorized.
- The integrity of the eSignatures must be kept safe and secure.
- The document being signed must clearly outline the agreement between parties.
- There should be an accurate audit trail for all eSignatures, including timestamps.
Conclusion
HIPPA laws can be confusing when it comes to eSignatures because they are not expressly discussed in the law. The right eSignature solution is more important than ever before, for securing signatures and protecting companies against HIPPA compliance issues.
Solutions like those offered by mSign, make securing eSignatures much easier and less stressful for businesses. These white-label signature solutions offer full company branding, so there is never an interruption to the experience a business offers its users.
With simple integration and the offering of multiple sub-accounts and billing structures, businesses will find mSign offers a complete eSignature solution for ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and county laws.