How Long Does it Take to Get HIPAA Certified?
HIPAA certification is usually earned by completing a HIPAA training course and online HIPAA training allows you to get HIPAA certified in about 90 minutes. The best quality training does stops at the HIPAA basics. Stronger HIPAA certification programs include additional training modules that go beyond core HIPAA requirements, providing extra instruction on specialist topics such as HIPAA and social media, HIPAA and artificial intelligence, HIPAA in emergencies. Those optional modules can add anywhere from an extra 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how comprehensive the training is and which specialist modules you choose.
How do I get a HIPAA Certification?
The way for an individual to get HIPAA certified is through a third-party training course. The difference between an employer’s training course and a third party’s training course is that employers who are covered entities or business associates provide training on internal HIPAA policies and procedures. Third party training courses are more focussed on HIPAA rules and regulations that apply in all circumstances.
The HIPAA certification curriculum generally starts with foundational concepts and then covers the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, including practical handling of PHI, patient rights, permitted and required disclosures, breach response basics, and everyday safeguards for electronic PHI. Higher-quality programs also include optional add-ons such as state-specific privacy overlays and advanced modules on compliance officer responsibilities, avoiding violations, consequences of noncompliance, and emergency-situation privacy decision-making, while still recognizing that employer-specific policy and procedure training is needed. Some states such as Texas and California have additional rules regarding medical record privacy regulations that overlay the HIPAA rules and regulations. A HIPAA certificate that includes these state rules provides additional value.
What does it mean to be HIPAA Certified?
Being HIPAA certified usually means a person has completed a HIPAA training course and received a certificate of completion showing they were instructed on the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules and passed a test. It is not an official government-issued credential or a license, and there is no single, universally recognized HIPAA certification granted by HHS. The fact that HHS does not issue certificates means the reputation of the company providing the training and issuing the certificate is very important and should be a recognised authority in the healthcare sector. In practice, the certificate serves as documentation for employers that required training was completed, while full compliance still depends on following an organization’s policies and procedures and applying HIPAA correctly in day-to-day work.
The Benefits of HIPAA Certification for Individuals
HIPAA certification for individuals is not only a recognition of achievement. It is also a record of what HIPAA training for employees has been undertaken so that if (for example) you are promoted to a more responsible role, your employer is aware of what training you have been provided with and what further training is required – saving both you and your employer from repeating previously accredited training.
The benefits of third-party HIPAA certification is that it demonstrates to prospective employers you have an understanding of HIPAA. This might not only be important if you are applying for a job with a healthcare provider, but also if you are applying for a job with any business that provides a service for or on behalf of a healthcare provider (i.e., healthcare IT, billing company, legal firm, etc).
