What does it mean to be HIPPA Compliant and how does it affect the Direct Mail Industry?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) sets privacy guidelines for individuals and their health information. While HIPAA only applies to the medical and dental industries, it has also affected other sectors that deal with confidential patient information.
HOW DOES HIPAA AFFECT THE DIRECT MAIL INDUSTRY?
All industries must be HIPAA compliant if they have access to medical patient data. This includes the direct mail industry.
The direct mail advertising industry has access to databases containing private information, and even if they are only sending mailings, the storage, and maintenance of customer information is critical. Mailings targeted to individuals based on health conditions, doctors visited, or medications prescribed contain confidential information. Therefore, direct mail companies must be HIPAA compliant.
BECOMING HIPAA COMPLIANT
To achieve HIPAA compliance an organization must undergo training in critical areas such as compliance, technical controls, backup management, and physical security. Establishing procedures and making sure that all parties involved understand and follow them takes crucial resources. More specifically, companies managing private patient data must focus on meeting the requirements in these areas.
- Access Control
- Backup Management
- Safeguards
- Physical Security
- Audit Control
- System Integrity
- Transmission Security
Only people with clearance can handle patient data. Therefore, a direct mail house must minimize the number of times data is accessed. Proof of need is necessary to access to customer information and education of the people handling the information is a must.
Mail Manager is HIPAA Compliant
Mail Manager handles direct response projects that contain critical and sensitive information. We know that this material must remain confidential under HIPAA privacy standards. To prevent the loss or compromise of the data you entrust to our care, we ensure that process for handling data is HIPAA compliant.
For more information about how Mail Manager has achieved HIPPA compliant status, click here.
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