HIPAA Glossary: Essential Terms You Need to Know
Understanding HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is essential for businesses handling healthcare data. Whether you're a healthcare provider, business associate, or vendor managing protected health information (PHI), compliance requires navigating complex regulations, security protocols, and data protection measures.
To help you stay compliant and informed, we’ve compiled a HIPAA glossary covering key terms, security requirements, and compliance essentials.
Key HIPAA Compliance Terms
A
🔹 Access Control – Security measures that restrict access to electronic protected health information (ePHI) based on user roles and authentication protocols.
🔹 Administrative Safeguards – Policies, procedures, and workforce training measures required by the HIPAA Security Rule to ensure ePHI protection.
🔹 Audit Log / Audit Trail – A HIPAA-required system that records who accessed PHI, when, and what changes were made, helping detect unauthorized access.
B
🔹 Breach – The acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of PHI in a manner not permitted under the Privacy Rule, which compromises its security or privacy.
🔹 Breach Notification Rule – A regulation requiring organizations to report data breaches affecting PHI to affected individuals, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and sometimes the media.
🔹 Business Associate (BA) – A person or entity that performs functions or activities that involve the use or disclosure of PHI on behalf of or provides services to a covered entity.
🔹 Business Associate Agreement (BAA) – A mandatory HIPAA contract between a covered entity and a business associate that outlines security and compliance responsibilities.
C
🔹 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) – The codification of general and permanent rules published by the executive departments and agencies of the federal government, including HIPAA regulations.
🔹 Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA Triad) – The core principles of HIPAA security, ensuring data privacy, protection against unauthorized changes, and accessibility for authorized users.
🔹 Contingency Plan – A required HIPAA Security Rule measure outlining how organizations will respond to cyber incidents, natural disasters, or data breaches affecting PHI.
🔹 Covered Entity (CE) – Any organization directly handling PHI, including hospitals, healthcare providers, health insurers, and healthcare clearinghouses.
D
🔹 Data Backup Plan – A HIPAA requirement ensuring regular, encrypted backups of PHI, allowing quick recovery in case of system failures, breaches, or data loss.
🔹 Data Encryption – A security process that makes PHI unreadable if intercepted or stolen. Required for HIPAA compliance when transmitting or storing sensitive data.
E
🔹 Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) – Any digitally stored, transmitted, or processed PHI. Subject to HIPAA’s Security Rule for strict data protection.
H
🔹 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – The U.S. law that regulates how healthcare data is accessed, stored, and shared, ensuring privacy and security protections for patient information.
🔹 HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) – The federal agency responsible for overseeing HIPAA compliance and enforcing healthcare regulations.
🔹 HIPAA Privacy Rule – Regulations that set standards for PHI disclosure, granting patients rights to access, correct, and control their health data.
🔹 HIPAA Security Rule – Establishes technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect ePHI from unauthorized access, cyberattacks, or breaches.
I
🔹 Incident – Any activity that harms or poses a serious threat to an organization’s computer, telephone, or network resources, including unauthorized access, exposure, or deletion of PHI due to cyberattacks or system failures.
🔹 Incident Response Plan (IRP) – A structured plan detailing how an organization will detect, contain, and recover from security incidents involving PHI.
M
🔹 Medical Record – Documents related to a patient’s medical history, including identification records, physician notes, test results, imaging reports, medication records, and discharge summaries.
🔹 Minimum Necessary Standard – A HIPAA principle stating that organizations must limit PHI access and sharing to only what is necessary for job functions or care.
N
🔹 NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) – A non-regulatory agency that provides security guidelines and frameworks, including recommendations for HIPAA compliance and cybersecurity.
O
🔹 OCR (Office for Civil Rights) – The HHS department responsible for enforcing HIPAA regulations and investigating compliance violations.
P
🔹 Penetration Testing (Pen Testing) – A cybersecurity measure where ethical hackers simulate attacks to test an organization’s HIPAA security defenses.
🔹 Protected Health Information (PHI) – Individually identifiable health information related to a patient’s health status, treatment, or healthcare payments.
🔹 Physical Safeguards – Security measures ensuring physical protection of ePHI, including secure server rooms, locked workstations, and restricted access controls.
R
🔹 Risk Analysis & Risk Management – A HIPAA Security Rule requirement mandating organizations to identify, assess, and mitigate risks to PHI security.
S
🔹 Security Incident – Any unauthorized attempt to access, use, disclose, or destroy PHI, including cyberattacks, human errors, or data breaches.
🔹 Storage – Records and PHI must be stored securely with controlled access and kept out of sight from unauthorized individuals.
T
🔹 Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) – A compliance strategy ensuring that vendors and business associates handling PHI meet HIPAA security standards.
U
🔹 Unsecured PHI – PHI that is not protected by encryption or other security measures, making it vulnerable to unauthorized access or data breaches.
V
🔹 Vulnerability Scanning – A proactive security measure that identifies weaknesses in IT systems that could expose PHI to cyber threats.
HIPAA compliance can be complex, but VanRein Compliance will make it simple. Contact us today for expert solutions tailored to your organization’s needs!