NEW HIPAA Compliant Texting Guidance: Avoid Audits and Penalties

Communicating patient information via text and email may be convenient, but it can also be very dangerous — particularly in light of CMS’ NEW Feb. 8 update to the rules around texting patients.

Federal and State HIPAA laws significantly restrict how you utilize text and email when transmitting patient data. Failure to comply with these complex rules can leave you exposed to a HIPAA audit and significant financial penalties.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that only hospitals get targeted for a HIPAA violation and end up paying penalties. That was certainly the case in the early years of HIPAA enforcement. However, recently, 74% of penalties were imposed on practices just like yours.

The good news is that you can avoid massive federal and state HIPAA violation fines and penalties with a few simple changes to your current processes. But only if you can identify the danger zones. Figure out how by attending this upcoming online training being presented by the former Head of the HIPAA program for the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, Iliana Peters, JD, LLM, CISSP.

During this live online training on Tuesday, March 12th at 1 pm ET, Iliana will walk you through exactly how to prevent federal and state violations and fines because of noncompliance with emailing and texting HIPAA laws. You’ll be surprised by what can land you in serious trouble.

Here are just a few of the practical, step-by-step tactics you’ll receive that will help you protect your practice from being penalized for HIPAA compliance violations related to emailing and texting patient information:

• Discover what CMS’ new Feb. 8 memo requires if you plan to text patients
• Choose the safest communication method: patient portal vs. email communications
• Protect yourself from HIPAA violations with one simple item added to your emails
• Identify when you can send PHI via email – or if you ever should
• Stop the worst internal text message HIPAA violators from sinking your practice
• Prevent private email use (i.e., Gmail, Yahoo etc.) from ending in catastrophe
• Improve HIPAA security for all of your messaging easier than you thought possible
• And so much more…

WARNING: Texting and emailing HIPAA violations are not always caused by what you might think. For example, you may believe that you’re safe as long as you don’t text your patients – WRONG. The most significant violations generally occur when your providers text or email staff. Also, you may not realize that each individual member of your staff is at personal risk. HIPAA can and does fine individual staff for their involvement in violations.

Regardless of specialty or practice size, your texting and emailing can be a ticking time bomb just waiting to cause a HIPAA explosion. Get the inside scoop on how to protect your practice from email and texting privacy violations by attending this upcoming online training presented by HHS’ former Head of the HIPAA program.