Pablo Luna
The healthcare sector is one of the largest and most complex sectors in the world. Healthcare occupations are adding more jobs every year than any other group. If you are a health worker it’s very important to understand HIPAA.
“HIPAA” is short for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability. It was enacted in the United States in 1996 during healthcare reform. It ensures your health insurance is portable. Basically, if you change or lose your job you won’t lose your coverage. HIPAA also establishes privacy for patient medical records.
Earning a HIPAA certification can make you much more valuable in the healthcare industry. You can choose from a variety of programs simply by asking yourself: “Does this program provide the type of information I will need for this job?” Many employers require a HIPAA exams training course and you can check with them if they have a preferred provider. But you should be careful! Many companies offer certifications that are not approved by the government, so be sure to know exactly what you are looking for.
Types of Certifications Available
Certified HIPAA Professional
This is a level-1 certification program, also known as CHP. It covers the law history and some basics of HIPAA compliance. It’s highly recommended for healthcare organizations that have access to personal health information. This program is ideal for:
- Compliance officers
- Lawyers
- Privacy and security officers
- Healthcare executives
- Senior clinicians
- Quality Assurance and Risk Managers
- Physicians
- Insurance executives
Certified HIPAA Administrator
This one – also referred to as CHA, is more useful for employees who directly deliver the services, e.g. hospital administrators and nurses. It’s more concerned with data privacy and sensitive medical information. It certainly goes more in-depth than CHP. You will learn the impact of HIPAA on patients, payment services, and providers.
Certified HIPAA Security Specialist
This is a higher-level certificate, popularly known as CHSS. If you apply for CHSS certification, it’s necessary to already have a CHP certificate. It deals with electronic medical records and is basically the IT sector, within a healthcare system. It applies to technical aspects as well as management and data storage.
You will learn to understand all the HIPAA security requirements and get familiar with security technologies.
Privacy and Security Awareness Training
This program is required for most employees that work in the health or human resources department. It is a course about cyber-security, so if your job is in management or IT, this will be especially useful to you.
Cyber threats are becoming more common in all work environments and security awareness training will help you gain the knowledge of how to fight them.
How to Choose a Program
There are so many programs to choose from. This can be overwhelming for you and also difficult if you don’t exactly know which type of certification the government regulates and endorses.
Here are some tips to help you on how to choose:
Try Asking Your Employer
Who knows? Maybe they have some advice or preferences. This way you will be sure that your company will accept the certificate you have and you will learn all the information needed for this type of job on your course.
Evaluate the Provider
It is more likely that the good provider will offer many training methods (e.g. online discussion forums, videos, texts, etc.). Be sure to check what type of training they are offering and if it is the right thing for you. If they are in business for a longer time, you can check out some comments and reviews online.
Ask Your Colleagues
Do you personally know anybody that has a HIPAA certification? Why not ask them about their experience! That way you can get some information on what different programs are like and if your colleagues find them useful in their day-to-day work.
Read Reviews from Other Students
It can be very useful to read what the former students have to say about a provider online. This may help you narrow down your list of choices.
Check List
Here is a little checklist to help you choose the best program. We hope you will find it helpful:
- Your employer will accept the certification card
- The provider offers training for different types of learners
- The provider offers your preferred method of training
- Previous students are satisfied with the program
- The provider has been in business for a longer time (at least five years)
People often think HIPAA certifications are mainly for administrators and healthcare professionals. But to be honest – so many careers can benefit from it. It is crucial for everyone that handles patient data, whether you are a nurse, an IT expert, or any type of healthcare provider.
There are so many options out there and you can get confused. But please, take your time. Do your research and make sure you find the best provider and the best certifications for your career.
