If you’ve ever asked, “How often is HIPAA compliance training required?” The answer is at least once every year — and sometimes more. Here are a few things you should consider when it comes to HIPAA retraining.
Annual retraining is required by HHS
All organizations with any kind of access to Protected Health Information (PHI) are required by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to annually train their employees on HIPAA. Annual HIPAA compliance training ensures employees stay well-informed about updated safeguards, revised procedures, and any changes affecting the protection of PHI
Additional employee training may be needed when policies change or when new systems are introduced.
If you are audited, records of annual training will be one of the first things HHS or your state attorney general will ask for. Keeping everyone up to date with what safeguards they should be using to protect PHI is essential for staying HIPAA compliant and avoiding potential HIPAA violations.
Your new employees need to be trained
If you’ve brought on new hires since your last HIPAA training, then it’s definitely time to train them. New hires should be trained immediately upon hiring— before accessing any PHI.
Failing to train new workforce members is one of the most common ways that organizations become non-compliant.
Businesses and technologies are always changing
Even if you remember everything from your last training, odds are that your thoughts on compliance aren’t exactly accurate. That’s because what’s considered “compliant” is always evolving.
HIPAA training — when should it be done? In addition to the annual requirement, retraining must occur whenever your organization updates systems, adopts new technology, changes workflows, or implements new security controls.
Compliance requires safeguards in place that reflect industry cybersecurity standards and the current state of your business. As encryption standards are updated or your organization’s remote access procedures change, relevant policies need to be updated and staff must receive refresher training programs to match.
Keeping meticulous track of your training records is key
It would be counterproductive to invest in employee training and end up with nothing documented. Accurate training records demonstrate when HIPAA training was performed and help your organization prove ongoing compliance.
Not only will this allow you to make sure that a retraining is on the schedule, but it’s also necessary for carrier audits. We’ve seen carriers (Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, etc.) ask for training records and other organizations may also want to make sure your training records are complete.
Retraining saves you time and money
It might not seem that way now, but not prioritizing training is risky both legally and financially. Missing annual training or failing to retrain when policies change increases the likelihood of HIPAA violations, legal issues, and costly remediation efforts.
If your lack of compliance becomes a legal issue, you not only face losing valuable clients and a good reputation, but you’ll spend hours talking with lawyers and doing paperwork. Consistent retraining keeps your organization HIPAA compliant and reduces exposure to unnecessary risk.
Retraining protects you and your organization
This alone should be a pretty key motivator for investing in HIPAA compliance retraining. By staying up to date with the latest in HIPAA compliance, you are protecting your and your organization from potential harmful data breaches. Annual HIPAA refresher training also ensures employees understand how to safeguard PHI across all systems they use.
If you can prove that you are up to date on all training, odds are that an audit will go much more smoothly.
Retraining ensures client and employee safety
It is your responsibility to safeguard PHI in every form. Retraining annual is required and a net positive for your organization, and it also helps protect your clients and business associates,
Even if there are systems in place that work for your organization, you need to be certain that they are compliant and employees know how to use them. Consistent training programs build employee confidence, reduce risk, and create a security-first culture.
Has your organization performed a Risk Assessment in the past year? Are there updated HIPAA Policies and Procedures in place? Our HIPAA Prime™ program does all this and more! We create customized compliance documents and provide your employees with effective online training, ensuring compliance for your organization.
Want to Learn More?
Stop guessing about your legal risks. Total HIPAA specializes in providing the definitive clarity you need to achieve and maintain true HIPAA compliance—from mandatory Risk Assessments to Annual Training and legally sound Business Associate Agreements (BAAs).
Don’t wait for an audit. Get expert guidance focused specifically on the federal requirements to protect PHI and avoid costly penalties.
