Get Ready! HHS OCR Announces Next Round Of HIPAA Audits

To combat new risks associated with rapidly evolving health information technology, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) provides standards for the privacy of protected health information (PHI), the security of electronic protected health information (ePHI), and breach notification to individuals.   HITECH also requires HHS to perform periodic audits of covered entity and business associate compliance with the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules.  In 2011, HHS OCR established the HIPAA pilot audit program to assess the controls and processes implemented by covered entities to protect the privacy of PHI.