Nov
06
do file cabinets have to be locked during the workday to comply with HIPPA?
By
Where I work there are forty people doing medical billing and are using EOBs all day long. We have to lock and unlock the file cabinet at least twenty times a day to get what we need. Don’t these cabinets only have to be locked when the office is closed. Do they really have to be locked during the workday???
1 Comments
November 6th, 2009 at 6:55 am
Depends on the situation. The first thing to consider is the location of the filing cabinet. Is it in a secured area, where only those with a “need to know” have access. If so, then they do not have to be locked when attended. However, if they are in an area, where persons who are not entitled to the information are present, then they must be attended by a person with access privileges or secured when unattended. They can not be left alone with anyone who is not granted access rights by law. All files MUST be secured when unattended.
Treat these file like you would treat evidence in a high profile case.