The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was signed into effect by President Clinton to protect health insurance coverage for workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs (Portability) and to protect health data integrity, confidentiality, and availability (Accountability).

Healthcare organizations must start now to understand the business impact of HIPAA and plan not only for compliance, but for strategic advantage. The challenge is to fully understand the impact of the law and to work a HIPAA response into overall planning.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is mainly categorized into four components which are:-

• Administrative Procedures
  
  
• Physical safeguards
  
  
• Technical Security Services
  
  
• Technical Security Mechanisms
  
  

Administrative simplification poses the greatest challenge to healthcare organizations today. Its goal is to reduce the costs and administrative burdens of healthcare through the standardization of electronic transmissions.

We have taken several steps in conforming and/or exceeding HIPAA regulations in this area.

In accordance with HIPAA, we have established the following measures:

1. All fastscribe.com related files and directories are network and user password protected with controlled rights as determined by the administrator of the computer network.
   
   
2. All client related documents are sent to and from computers using SSL 128-bit encryption in addition to further encryption/decryption measures on our site.
   
   
3. Hard copy documents related to the client/patients are disposed using a shredder.
   
   
4. Technical system evaluations are performed on a routine basis to make sure all systems meet or exceed the specific security requirements.
   
   
5. The computer networks are completely firewall protected with SSL encryption and all persons, administrators, transcriptionists who have access to any sensitive information, patient reports, voice files have the appropriate clearances and have signed confidentiality agreements.
   
   
6. Our network has active security, monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with automated and real time network protection including the use of time tested leading security products (such as virus protection).

Employees are subject to the strictest patient privacy rules and regulations and can be subject to immediate dismissal and may be prosecuted by the law if found in violation.