HIPAA Compliance Services
Build Trust with HIPAA Compliance
In the healthcare industry, protecting patient information is not just a legal obligation—it's the foundation of trust between providers and patients. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) establishes federal privacy protections for individually identifiable health information, requiring healthcare organizations to implement safeguards to keep patient data secure. As an organization that handles electronic protected health information (ePHI), a HIPAA compliance report will demonstrate you have the required safeguards in place to protect patient data. At Glocert International, we specialize in providing HIPAA compliance services including readiness assessments and validation reports. Our expert team helps healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and business associates navigate HIPAA regulations, identify control gaps, implement required safeguards, and demonstrate compliance to patients, partners, and regulators.
What is HIPAA?
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a federal law enacted in 1996 that establishes national standards for protecting sensitive patient health information. HIPAA requires organizations to keep patient data secure through uniform federal privacy protections for individually identifiable health information.
HIPAA applies to covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearinghouses) and their business associates (any organization that handles protected health information on behalf of a covered entity). HIPAA compliance is mandatory for all organizations that create, receive, maintain, or transmit electronic protected health information (ePHI).
Key Definitions
- Protected Health Information (PHI): Any information about health status, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare that can be linked to a specific individual
- Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI): PHI that is created, stored, transmitted, or received electronically
- Covered Entities: Healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses
- Business Associates: Organizations that perform functions or activities on behalf of, or provide services to, covered entities that involve access to PHI
- Safeguards: Administrative, physical, and technical controls to protect ePHI
Why HIPAA Compliance Matters
HIPAA compliance is critical for healthcare organizations and their business associates. Here's why HIPAA compliance is essential:
1. Legal Requirement and Penalties
HIPAA compliance is not optional—it's federal law:
- Organizations handling ePHI must comply with HIPAA regulations
- Violations result in severe financial penalties ranging from $100 to $50,000 per violation
- Maximum annual penalties can reach $1.5 million per violation category
- Criminal penalties can include fines up to $250,000 and imprisonment up to 10 years
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) actively enforces HIPAA
- Data breaches affecting 500+ individuals must be reported publicly to HHS
2. Patient Trust and Reputation
Patients entrust healthcare organizations with their most sensitive information including medical history, diagnoses, treatments, mental health information, and payment information. HIPAA compliance demonstrates commitment to protecting patient privacy, builds and maintains patient trust, enhances organizational reputation, and differentiates quality healthcare providers.
3. Business Continuity and Risk Management
HIPAA compliance protects against data breaches affecting patient information, ransomware attacks targeting healthcare data, unauthorized access to medical records, system outages impacting healthcare delivery, and legal liability from privacy violations. Systematic security controls reduce operational and financial risks.
4. Business Associate Requirements
If you provide services to healthcare organizations, HIPAA compliance is required. Covered entities require business associates to demonstrate HIPAA compliance, contracts require business associates to maintain HIPAA safeguards, and covered entities audit business associate compliance. HIPAA compliance is essential for winning and retaining healthcare clients.
HIPAA Compliance Services
Glocert International offers comprehensive HIPAA compliance services designed to help healthcare organizations and their business associates achieve and maintain regulatory compliance. Our services range from initial readiness assessments to full validation reports, providing the assurance you need to protect patient data and build trust with stakeholders.
HIPAA Readiness Assessment
If you're working to achieve HIPAA compliance for the first time, completing a Readiness Assessment will identify high-risk control gaps, provide recommendations for improving controls, and allow you to remediate issues prior to A-LIGN'S auditor's conducting your official HIPAA assessment. Get started with your HIPAA Readiness Assessment today.
HIPAA Validation
Either through a SOC 2 + HIPAA assessment, or a security assessment report, we validate your organization's compliance against the HIPAA safeguards defined and issue a report regarding your level of compliance.
HIPAA Readiness Assessment
If you're working to achieve HIPAA compliance for the first time, completing a Readiness Assessment will identify high-risk control gaps, provide recommendations for improving controls, and allow you to remediate issues prior to an official HIPAA assessment.
What's Included in a Readiness Assessment
Initial Consultation
Understand your organization's environment, ePHI handling, and current security posture.
Gap Analysis
Comprehensive evaluation of your current controls against HIPAA Security Rule requirements.
Risk Assessment
Identify and evaluate risks and vulnerabilities to ePHI confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Control Gap Identification
Document specific areas where controls do not meet HIPAA requirements.
Remediation Recommendations
Detailed, prioritized recommendations for implementing required safeguards and closing gaps.
Readiness Report
Comprehensive report documenting findings, risks, gaps, and roadmap to compliance.
Remediation Support
Consultation on implementing recommendations and preparing for validation assessment.
Get started with your HIPAA Readiness Assessment today to identify and remediate control gaps before your official HIPAA validation.
HIPAA Validation
Either through a SOC 2 + HIPAA assessment, or a security assessment report, we validate your organization's compliance against the HIPAA safeguards defined and issue a report regarding your level of compliance.
HIPAA Validation Methods
SOC 2 + HIPAA Assessment
Combines SOC 2 audit (security, availability, confidentiality) with specific HIPAA Security Rule requirements.
Benefits: Provides comprehensive security validation for customers and HIPAA compliance for healthcare partners.
Deliverable: SOC 2 Type 2 report with HIPAA addendum validating compliance with HIPAA safeguards.
Security Assessment Report
Standalone assessment focused specifically on HIPAA Security Rule compliance.
Benefits: Targeted HIPAA validation without broader SOC 2 scope, faster and more cost-effective for HIPAA-only needs.
Deliverable: HIPAA Security Assessment Report documenting compliance with administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.
What's Covered in HIPAA Validation
- Administrative Safeguards: Security management process, workforce security, information access management, security awareness training, security incident procedures
- Physical Safeguards: Facility access controls, workstation use and security, device and media controls
- Technical Safeguards: Access controls, audit controls, integrity controls, transmission security, encryption
- Organizational Requirements: Business associate agreements, chain of trust requirements
- Policies and Procedures: Documentation of HIPAA policies, procedures, and controls
- Documentation: Required documentation per HIPAA Security Rule
Benefits of HIPAA Compliance
Achieving HIPAA compliance provides healthcare organizations and business associates with critical benefits:
Avoid Financial Penalties
Prevents your company from falling under harsh financial penalties for failure to comply with HIPAA standards.
Peace of Mind
Brings peace of mind to your customers knowing their protected health information is safeguarded.
Patient Trust
Demonstrates commitment to patient privacy and builds lasting trust.
Regulatory Compliance
Meets federal requirements and demonstrates due diligence to regulators.
Business Associate Requirement
Required for contracts with healthcare providers and winning healthcare clients.
Data Security
Strengthens security controls protecting sensitive health information.
Risk Mitigation
Reduces risk of data breaches, ransomware, and unauthorized access.
Competitive Advantage
Differentiates your organization in the healthcare market.
HIPAA Rules and Requirements
HIPAA compliance encompasses multiple rules and requirements:
HIPAA Privacy Rule
Focus: Protecting the privacy of individuals' health information.
Requirements: Standards for use and disclosure of PHI, patient rights to access and control health data, minimum necessary standard, notice of privacy practices.
Applies To: All covered entities and business associates handling PHI in any form (electronic, paper, oral).
HIPAA Security Rule
Focus: Safeguarding electronic protected health information (ePHI).
Requirements: Administrative safeguards (policies, procedures, training), physical safeguards (facility access, workstation security), technical safeguards (access controls, encryption, audit controls).
Applies To: All covered entities and business associates that create, receive, maintain, or transmit ePHI.
HIPAA Breach Notification Rule
Focus: Notifying individuals and HHS in the event of a breach of unsecured PHI.
Requirements: Breach notification to affected individuals within 60 days, notification to HHS (immediately for breaches affecting 500+ individuals), public notification for large breaches, business associate breach reporting to covered entities.
Applies To: All covered entities and business associates experiencing breaches of unsecured PHI.
HIPAA Enforcement Rule
Focus: Procedures for investigations, hearings, and penalty determinations.
Enforcement: HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigates complaints, conducts compliance reviews, imposes civil monetary penalties ranging from $100 to $50,000 per violation (up to $1.5 million annually per violation category).
Criminal Penalties: Department of Justice can prosecute knowing violations with penalties up to $250,000 and 10 years imprisonment.
HIPAA Compliance Pricing
Our HIPAA compliance services pricing is transparent and based on your organization's size, complexity, and specific needs. We offer competitive rates with no hidden fees.
Request a Quote
Get a personalized estimate based on your organization's environment, ePHI handling, and compliance requirements.
Contact Us for PricingWhat's Included in HIPAA Services Pricing:
- Initial consultation and scope definition
- Comprehensive gap analysis or validation assessment
- Risk assessment and vulnerability identification
- Documentation review and control testing
- Detailed findings report with prioritized recommendations
- HIPAA compliance validation report (for validation services)
- Post-assessment consultation and remediation guidance
- Optional: SOC 2 + HIPAA combined assessment
Note: HIPAA pricing varies based on organization size, complexity of environment, number of locations, ePHI volume, and whether readiness assessment or validation services are needed. Contact us for a detailed, no-obligation quote.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find answers to common questions about HIPAA compliance:
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is a federal law requiring organizations to keep patient data secure through uniform federal privacy protections. HIPAA applies to covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearinghouses) and business associates (any organization that handles PHI on behalf of covered entities). If your organization creates, receives, maintains, or transmits electronic protected health information (ePHI), you must comply with HIPAA Security Rule requirements.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule protects all forms of PHI (electronic, paper, oral) and establishes standards for use, disclosure, and patient rights. The HIPAA Security Rule specifically protects electronic PHI (ePHI) and requires administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. While the Privacy Rule applies broadly to PHI in any form, the Security Rule focuses on electronic security controls. Organizations must comply with both rules.
HIPAA penalties are severe and tiered based on violation level: Tier 1 (unknowing): $100-$50,000 per violation; Tier 2 (reasonable cause): $1,000-$50,000 per violation; Tier 3 (willful neglect, corrected): $10,000-$50,000 per violation; Tier 4 (willful neglect, not corrected): $50,000 per violation. Maximum annual penalties can reach $1.5 million per violation category. Criminal penalties can include fines up to $250,000 and imprisonment up to 10 years for knowing violations. In addition to financial penalties, organizations face reputational damage, loss of patient trust, and potential lawsuits.
A Business Associate Agreement (BAA) is a written contract between a covered entity and a business associate that defines how PHI will be protected, handled, and secured. BAAs are required by HIPAA and must specify permitted uses and disclosures of PHI, requirements for safeguarding PHI, breach notification obligations, agreement term and termination, and business associate's responsibilities under HIPAA. If you provide services to healthcare organizations and handle PHI, you must sign BAAs and demonstrate HIPAA compliance. Many covered entities require business associates to provide HIPAA validation reports.
A HIPAA Readiness Assessment is a gap analysis for organizations working toward compliance, identifying control deficiencies and providing remediation recommendations before official assessment. It's designed to help you prepare for compliance. HIPAA Validation is an independent assessment that validates your compliance against HIPAA safeguards and issues a compliance report. It's designed to demonstrate compliance to partners, customers, and regulators. Most organizations start with a readiness assessment, remediate gaps, then proceed to validation assessment.
HIPAA does not explicitly mandate encryption, but it is an addressable safeguard under the Security Rule. Organizations must implement encryption or document why an alternative measure is reasonable and appropriate. However, encryption is strongly recommended because encrypted ePHI is considered "secured" under the Breach Notification Rule, meaning breaches of encrypted data may not require notification if the encryption key was not compromised. Organizations should implement encryption for ePHI at rest (stored data) and in transit (transmitted data) as a best practice and to reduce breach notification requirements.
HIPAA requires ongoing risk assessments, not just one-time evaluations. Organizations should conduct comprehensive risk assessments annually at minimum, and whenever there are significant changes to systems or processes (new technology implementations, infrastructure changes, new services or applications), after security incidents or breaches, and when new threats or vulnerabilities are identified. Continuous risk monitoring and periodic assessments help maintain compliance and identify emerging risks to ePHI.
If a breach of unsecured PHI occurs, you must follow the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule: 1) Contain and investigate the breach immediately; 2) Notify affected individuals within 60 days of discovery; 3) Notify HHS immediately if breach affects 500+ individuals (or annually for smaller breaches); 4) Notify media if breach affects 500+ individuals in a state or jurisdiction; 5) If you're a business associate, notify the covered entity immediately; 6) Document the breach investigation, notification, and remediation. Having an incident response plan and breach notification procedures in place before a breach occurs is critical for HIPAA compliance.
Yes, combining SOC 2 and HIPAA assessments is highly efficient and recommended. A SOC 2 audit covers security, availability, and confidentiality controls that overlap significantly with HIPAA Security Rule requirements. By adding HIPAA-specific requirements to a SOC 2 examination, you can obtain both a SOC 2 Type 2 report for customer security requirements and HIPAA validation for healthcare partners in a single engagement. This combined approach reduces audit burden, cost, and time while providing comprehensive compliance documentation.
HIPAA applies to organizations handling US patients' health information, regardless of where the organization is located. If you provide services to US covered entities, process US patients' ePHI, or store health data for US healthcare organizations, you must comply with HIPAA as a business associate. Many international organizations serving US healthcare clients maintain HIPAA compliance and validation reports to win and retain US business. HIPAA compliance may be required in addition to local data protection regulations (GDPR, etc.).
Why Choose Glocert for HIPAA Compliance?
Healthcare Compliance Expertise
Our team of experienced assessors possess in-depth knowledge of HIPAA regulations, healthcare security requirements, and industry best practices. We understand the unique challenges healthcare organizations and their business associates face in protecting ePHI. Our experts stay current with HHS Office for Civil Rights guidance, enforcement trends, and evolving HIPAA requirements, ensuring accurate and effective HIPAA assessments.
Comprehensive Assessment Approach
We conduct thorough assessments covering all HIPAA Security Rule requirements including administrative safeguards (policies, procedures, training), physical safeguards (facility access, workstation security), technical safeguards (access controls, encryption, audit controls), and organizational requirements (business associate agreements). Our holistic approach ensures you receive complete visibility into your HIPAA compliance posture and actionable recommendations.
Flexible Service Options
Glocert International offers flexible HIPAA services tailored to your needs including readiness assessments for organizations working toward compliance, validation assessments for demonstrating compliance, automated readiness assessments for rapid evaluation, and combined SOC 2 + HIPAA assessments for comprehensive validation. Whether you're pursuing first-time compliance or maintaining ongoing validation, we have solutions that fit your requirements and timeline.
Independence and Objectivity
As an independent third-party assessor, Glocert International provides objective, unbiased evaluations of your HIPAA compliance. Our assessments are free from conflicts of interest, providing you with credible validation reports that build trust with patients, partners, and regulators. Our independence ensures your HIPAA compliance documentation will be accepted and trusted by covered entities and business partners.
Related Services
Healthcare organizations often need multiple compliance assessments. Glocert International also provides SOC 2 audits for trust service criteria, ISO 27001 certification for information security management, and ISO 27701 certification for privacy management. We can coordinate multiple engagements to maximize efficiency and provide comprehensive security and compliance validation.
Unlock the Full Potential of Your Organization
Contact us today to learn more about our HIPAA compliance services and how we can help you protect patient data and demonstrate regulatory compliance.
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