What is HITECH?

In 2009, the U.S. Congress passed The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This act seeks to promote the ‘adoption and meaningful use of health information technology.’

How are HITECH and HIPAA different?

While HITECH and HIPAA are different acts of congress, they are so tightly integrated that most people refer to them as HIPAA/HITECH or just HIPAA. The HITECH act strengthened the HIPPA rules for privacy and security by adding provisions such as the need for covered entities to acquire signed agreements with Business Associates who handle and transmit Protected Health Information (PHI) on their behalf.

Do I need to comply with HITECH?

If you are required by law to comply with HIPAA, you’re required to comply with HITECH as well. The good news is that, if your systems are compliant with HIPAA, it’s not difficult to ensure HITECH compliance as well. However, there are nuances between the two regulations around elements such as patient access to data and breach protocols, so you may need to do some additional compliance planning.

When determining your compliance requirements or status, always consult with qualified legal counsel.

Compliance Solutions for Every Type of Business

Connectria helps many different types of businesses ensure the compliance of their systems and data with security and privacy regulations. Here are just some of the types of organizations we work with: