How can smart card-based patient ID cards help with HIPAA compliance?
Smart card-based patient ID cards offer covered entities under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) an effective tool to facilitate compliance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule. One of the key provisions of the HIPAA Privacy Rule is to assure that an individual’s health information is properly protected and that individuals can control how their health information is accessed and used. The HIPAA Privacy Rule applies to specific covered entities such as health care providers (e.g., doctors, dentists, pharmacies, nursing homes), health plans (e.g., HMOs, health insurance companies, company health plans) and health clearinghouses. Putting smart cards in the hands of employees of covered entities as well as patients will ensure that health information is accessed only by those with the appropriate credentials. Many high profile breaches of protected health information have occurred when employees at covered entities have accessed medical records that they were not auth
