7 Important Points About Military HIPAA Certification

When they first hear about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), most people think it only applies to civilian institutions. However, HIPAA training can also prove beneficial to military institutions such as the Army or the Navy. Read below to find out the top 7 things you need to know about Military HIPAA program.

1) In order to obtain their HIPAA program, military professionals first have to undergo a HIPAA compliance training course, like in the case of civilians. The training courses include topics such as risk analysis, project management, security compliance, and information security. Military personnel can usually receive guidance from a superior, who can designate the specific courses each member has to attend.

2) Just like civilians, military professionals have the opportunity to choose one of three HIPAA certificate: Certified HIPAA Professional, Certified HIPAA Administrator, or Certified HIPAA Security Specialist. The type of certificate each individual requires depends on the job responsibilities he or she has within the military force. If, at any point during their military career, they wish to land a job which has different HIPAA requirements, they can simply join the appropriate course and obtain a new HIPAA program.

3) Military personnel can choose either an online HIPAA training course or a live class. In either case, they have to pass a final exam to obtain their HIPAA program. Online training courses have a typical length of two hours, while live classes can last from two and up to four days.

4) Military professionals who obtain their HIPAA certificate will be able to manage military databases or projects, work with sensitive military documents, or obtain compliance based jobs, such as records security officers or compliance officers.Consequently, acquiring their HIPAA program can be the perfect opportunity for military personnel to further their career.

5) Military HIPAA training teaches personnel how to protect and secure personal identifiable information (PII), personal health information (PHI), as well as electronic personal health information (EPHI).

6) During military HIPAA training, personnel will learn what boundaries they have to respect when using and realizing health data, they will understand the penalties they are subject to in case they violate patient rights, and they will also find out about the safeguards they have to impose in order to protect private health information.

7) Obtaining a HIPAA certification also enables military professionals to become HIPAA trainers for other military staff. Military HIPAA trainers will have to plan the curriculum for the training modules and teach the course in front of other military professionals. They will be responsible for informing military personal about HIPAA’s significance, background, enactment, and regulations.

These are some of the most important things relating to Military HIPAA program that anyone working in this field should know about. The Military Health System (MHS), just like any other private or public US health system that acts as medical care provider, has to adhere to HIPAA’s regulations. Because of this, it is also important for military personnel to obtain their HIPAA certification.