Protect Your Patient Information and
KNOW Where Your Billing Information Is Going!Make Sure YOU Can Access Your Data 24/7
According to new HIPAA regulations, you must now, more than ever, be aware of who receives your Patient's sensitive information! Because of cheap labor, there is a large influx of new billing companies that are actually operating OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES! Many of these countries are exempt from restrictions that would keep them from SELLING your patient's IDENTITY information.
Web-based Internet Companies (ASPs) - SEVERAL WARNING FLAGS should come up here:
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If you lose access to the Internet (Cable, ISDN or Phone loss in your area) you lose access to your data
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If the remote company is shut down for any reason (legal, financial, etc) you lose access to your data
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If you choose to revert to in-house billing/EMR, good luck getting a backup from the remote company
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If the remote company does not have reliable backups, you could lose your data
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Do you know WHO the remote company hires, who might have access to your data?
AltaPoint Practice Management and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are located on YOUR servers and workstations in YOUR office. This gives you the BEST security for YOUR patients' records!
Ultimately, YOU are responsible for any security breach once a patient has filled out forms in your office. Take the time and effort to research any company that you are considering to use as an outside billing service. Ask them to sign not only a HIPAA agreement, but an affidavit of information distribution to ensure that your data stays in the United States.
Secondly, ensure that you are USING the built-in security features of AltaPoint Professional. This means requiring a Login Name and Password for every person that uses your program. You might also consider having all employees sign a HIPAA agreement to ensure that they understand their responsibilities when handling your patient's data.