What action helps a plan administrator comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?

The action that assists a plan administrator in complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is maintaining health records securely. HIPAA establishes national standards for the protection of certain health information and ensures patient privacy. One of its core requirements is that covered entities, which include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses, must implement safeguards to protect the confidentiality of health records.

By maintaining health records securely, plan administrators demonstrate compliance with HIPAA’s privacy and security rules. These rules require that health information be protected against unauthorized access and disclosure, and that appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards are in place.

Other actions, while important aspects of healthcare administration, do not directly relate to HIPAA compliance in the same way. For instance, providing coverage for all employees is more related to ensuring equitable access to healthcare benefits rather than protecting health information. Likewise, ensuring timely claims processing is essential for operational efficiency but does not address the specific requirements around patient privacy. Allowing individuals who cannot obtain coverage to enroll outside open enrollment periods is related to the Affordable Care Act and not directly to the provisions of HIPAA. Therefore, maintaining health records securely is the key action that aligns with HIPAA compliance.