Technology is a constantly developing tool that increases the ease of communication and information transfer. For hospital systems, technology has led to the development of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and patient payment platforms, both of which increase the efficiency and satisfaction of services.
Digital systems do not come without risk. While online and local data storage has many benefits, it does present a temptation to outside entities to seek the data for personal use. Patients need to know that their medical and payment information is being kept secure. Using patient engagement as a key metric for decision-making reinforces the need to make system security a priority.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and the Health Industry Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protect key sets of data that are integral to the healthcare payment system. By capitalizing on PCI and HIPAA requirements, hospital agencies can determine how to protect the patient’s confidential information best.
A History of Security
HealthPay24 was created in 1997, establishing roots in document management systems and conversion work. Around 2000, the company began to explore the healthcare industry after creating a point-of-sale (POS) system for a major hospital. It was during that process that HealthPay24 discovered a need for a comprehensive, secure, and user-friendly interface as a way to not only protect client information but to improve the patient financial experience.
In the twenty years since then, HealthPay24 has become a major name in hospital payment systems. HealthPay24 has grown with hospitals in developing security platforms that protect payment data and Protected Health Information (PHI) to meet the requirements of PCI DSS and HIPAA.
PCI DSS Compliance
Protecting client payment account information is vital to the trust of your organization. Your company is responsible for creating a highly protected platform that wards off hackers. With the increasingly large use of digital banking and credit systems, criminals are turning online to steal consumer financial information. According to a 2022 Verizon report, payment account data is the top motivation for data breaches, with 84% of caseloads entailing payment card data. A data breach can have a huge negative impact on the patient financial experience.
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) was developed to improve payment account data security by creating baseline system controls. This standard outlines a wide array of technical and operational requirements based on the latest developments in technology. The PCI DSS contains 12 requirements for compliance:
- Use and Maintenance of Firewalls
- Proper Password Protections
- Cardholder Data Protection
- Transmitted Data Encryption
- Use and Maintenance of Anti-Virus Software
- Properly Updated Software
- Data Access Restriction
- Unique IDs for Access
- Physical Access Restriction
- Creation and Maintenance of Access Logs
- Scanning and Testing for Vulnerabilities
- Document Policies
HIPAA Compliance
The passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) led to the development of two principal regulations that guide the protection of PHI: the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the HIPAA Security Rule. The Privacy Rule, also known as the “Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information”, outlines who can have access to PHI, the conditions in which they can be used, and to whom PHI can be shared. The Security Rule, also known as the “Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information”, regulates the security standards of PHI in electronic form.
The Security Rule establishes confidentiality protection of PHI held within EHRs and payment processing platforms. In order to meet HIPAA compliance requirements, healthcare organizations must comply with the following:
- Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all e-PHI they create, receive, maintain, or transmit.
- Identify and protect against reasonably anticipated threats to the security or integrity of the information.
- Protect against reasonably anticipated, impermissible uses or disclosures.
- Ensure workforce compliance.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) monitor these standards to assess compliance and conduct necessary investigations. The seriousness of the regulations cannot be understated: according to the HIPAA Journal, between July 2021 to June 2022, 692 healthcare data breaches have been reported and over 42 million individuals have had records exposed. These data breaches result in immense profit damages and enormous losses of public trust.
Superior Security Features of HealthPay24
HealthPay24 knows that you take security seriously. Your clients trust you to protect their medical and financial information from the rising security risks facing digital payment platforms. That’s why we have developed our product to meet the highest security standards on the market. With PCI Validated point-to-point encryption (P2PE), HIPAA compliance, and Omni Tokenization, we provide superior payment security with a risk-averse approach to security and compliance. Our solution allows you to handle the patient financial experience safely and effortlessly.
HealthPay24 meets the strictest security measures to ensure the protection of your system. Our solution meets these security and compliance certifications:
- HIPAA Privacy Rules Compliance
- National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) Operating Rules Compliance
- Certified Level-1 Service Provider with PCI DSS
- Visa Global Registry of Service Provider
- Mastercard Site Data Protection Compliant Registered Service Provider
- EMV Device and Processor Compliance
HealthPay24 goes above and beyond to ensure the security of your data. Using a “zero trust” approach, our team works with clients to set up secure connections, monitor site traffic, and filter suspicious activity. We thoroughly test all connection points for adequate security and isolate accessibility to only the users and connected systems.
HealthPay24 is Your Partner in Security
At HealthPay24, we work with you every step of the way to meet your security needs. In our current climate of hybrid and remote work schedules, home workers must be equipped to handle the security practices needed for PCI DSS. The proper protocol should be created for any user with access to account data. Any person handling payments should use required controls such as a multi-factor authentication process and protocols that avoid call recording, screenshots, or written account data. Further, workers need to have proper hardware devices with firewalls, virus-protection software, and security patches. Preventative measures protect both the employee and the company from potential data leaks.
Our team will meet with your security staff during the onboarding process to cover the dynamic security protections within HealthPay24. In coordination with your Quality Security Assessor (QSA), HealthPay24 will ensure compliance with PCI DSS and HIPAA to protect PHI and payment information.
Security Improves the Patient Financial Experience
Creating a sense of security is paramount to establishing trust between the patient and the hospital system. Patients need to know that their private information is being protected. HIPAA and PCI are two sets of requirements that help to guide in creating and accessing payment platforms.
HealthPay24 not only meets HIPAA and PCI compliance standards but also aims to create an environment with the highest level of protection. With our payment platform, you can rest easy knowing that the best health payment system is in place to protect confidential patient information.
Want to take the security of your payment platform to the next level? Connect with our service team to learn more about how HealthPay24 can help improve your hospital’s patient financial experience by reaching out to us at https://www.healthpay24.com/contact-us.