A Fully HIPAA Compliant Instant Messaging App

If you’re looking for a HIPAA compliant instant messaging platform that’s both encrypted and secure, Brosix is the perfect choice.

IWhat Is HIPAA?

HIPAA is an abbreviation for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 , a United States federal law that regulates the transfer and use of medical data in order to protect the security and privacy of personal patient information. In recent years, as the number of cyberattacks and the risks of health data breaches kept increasing, many healthcare providers and insurers have had to become more aware of and compliant with this legislation. HIPAA protects the rights of patients by enforcing the limits and rules within which medical information can be obtained, shared, and accessed. It also requires that all data is handled securely (especially in electronic form) to protect it from prying eyes and malicious use. HIPAA was adopted by the United States Congress in August 1996 and signed into law by former President Bill Clinton. It aims to achieve the following:

Create obligations for adhering to industry-wide health standards for e-invoicing and other processes involving personal data.
Provide the possibility of transferring and continuing health insurance coverage to countless US employees and their families when they lose or change jobs.
Require privacy and protection when working with sensitive personal information about a patient’s health status.

Establish guidelines to define the responsibilities of entities covered by the law and their business associates. It enforces severe penalties of up to $1.5 million per incident in cases of compliance violations as well as HIPAA privacy and security breaches.
Fight against abuse, waste, and fraud in the healthcare system when personal information is used within the medical sphere.

HIPAA Is Separated Into Five Title Sections:

Title 1: Health Insurance Portability

This title addresses people’s ability to retain their health insurance opportunities. It protects individuals who lose or change jobs, prohibits insurers from setting lifetime coverage limits, and mandates all group health plans to provide coverage to all individuals regardless of pre-existing conditions and diseases.

Title 2: Protection and Confidential Handling of Health Information

This title outlines regulations concerned with privacy requirements for healthcare organizations and suppliers, as well as their business service providers, requiring them to strictly follow procedures that guarantee the security and confidentiality of private health information when it is shared, sent, received, or used.

Title 2 applies to all forms of protected/personal health information (PHI), including verbal communication, physical documents, and electronic forms of communication, such as electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic protected health information (ePHI). It is important to note that, in this case, the only patient information that should be shared is that required for business purposes. The HIPAA Standards for Privacy Rule set the first national standard in the US to safeguard patients’ PHI and private information

Adhering to Title 2 of HIPAA is often called “being HIPAA compliant.” To avoid facing civil financial monetary penalties for HIPAA compliance violations, every healthcare organization, provider, or supplier must adhere to the following requirements:

Follow a standardized electronic data interchange (EDI) procedure every time an insurance claim is submitted or processed.
Possess a unique 10-digit national provider identifier number (National Provider Identifier or NPI).
Ensure that all sensitive patient information, including clinical data, is properly encrypted, handled, and safeguarded at all times to guarantee patient privacy and the security of their health data.

Title 3: Tax-Related Health Provisions

Title 3 is a set of guidelines for a pre-tax medical savings account to determine how much may be saved per person. This enables self-employed professionals and employees covered by employer-sponsored insurance plans to access medical savings accounts. The law also provides for deductions for medical insurance and other tax-related provisions, along with other modifications to the health insurance law.

Title 4: Application and Enforcement of Group Health Plan Requirements

Title 4 adds further changes to the health insurance reforms, specifying eligibility for people with pre-existing conditions and patients requiring continued coverage. It also includes clarification of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

Title 5: Revenue Offset Governing Tax Deductions for Employers

Title 5 of HIPAA encompasses:

Provisions for company-owned life insurance, such as forbidding company endowments, company-related contracts, and the tax deduction of interest on life insurance loans.
Repeals the financial institution rule to interest allocation rules.
Provides for the treatment of people who lost or gave up citizenship in the United States for income tax purposes. It also allows for the expatriation tax to be applied to those who have given up their US citizenship for tax reasons.

IIWho Falls Under the HIPAA Regulations?

In short, the HIPAA regulations cover any entity that electronically transfers medical records or healthcare-related billing records, including:

Health plan suppliers.
Healthcare clearinghouses
Health care providers who process financial and administrative transfers electronically.
It’s important to note that these entities fall under the privacy requirements even if they work under a business associate agreement when performing some of their general operations.

All these enterprises and providers must ensure that only the minimum medical information necessary is shared, transferred, or used whenever business is conducted, adhering to HIPAA compliant standards. Protection should be provided by all the necessary means, such as by encrypting data at rest and in transit.

Brosix is an instant messaging platform that provides an encrypted communication messaging system that completely complies with HIPAA regulatory requirements. Our secure messaging service brings enhanced communication and efficiency and comes with a dedicated agreement for each subscribed company.

IIIBrosix and HIPAA Compliance

Brosix offers a dedicated agreement for every client, which outlines that all data transferred with the Brosix messenger is encrypted and secure, thus complying with the requirements of HIPAA of not sharing personal health information publicly or otherwise.

Brosix subscribers can be confident that their communication remains private and protected by the end-to-end encryption applied to all data transfers through the different features of the application.

Request to download the Brosix HIPAA agreement.

IVInstant Communication at Brosix Is Secure

Real-time communication and data transfer security are Brosix’s top priorities.

Brosix encrypts all data transfers when sending text messages, files, video and voice chats, and even screenshots. Due to our peer-to-peer (P2P) technology, you can connect with other users and communicate safely. Rest assured that communication remains only between intended users and is stored on their mobile and desktop devices. Nobody can follow or track any communication or data transfers on Brosix, as all features are protected with extra layers of privacy through the private team chat network. It’s easy to use, administer, and control.

Learn how Brosix Enterprise enables private communication and ensures the confidentiality of your data.

VHIPAA Compliant Instant Messaging for Health Organizations

Complying with regulations can at times be burdensome, but Brosix is ready to help make your organization HIPAA compliant.

By securing all data and communication within your team, Brosix saves you time and gives you peace of mind that your data is protected from loss or theft. Regardless of which feature you use for sharing information, Brosix ensures that it remains private, as intended.

Rest assured as your data integrity and privacy are our top priorities!