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that focuses on the safety and care of patients. In the U.S., compliance in healthcare is important because of the sheer size of the industry, the associated risks and the industry’s dynamic nature. These factors create the possibility of fraud and abuse, which is where healthcare compliance comes in.

Read on to learn what healthcare compliance is, dive into what some of the laws surrounding it are, and explore healthcare compliance careers.

Healthcare compliance is the practice of adhering to local, state and federal healthcare laws and regulations, which prohibit and prevent fraud, abuse and waste in the healthcare industry. By adhering to laws and regulations in healthcare compliance, patients and professionals can help ensure the safety of all individuals in the healthcare industry.

Healthcare compliance extends far beyond adhering to rules, though. It's also a framework vital for ensuring the integrity and security of healthcare systems more broadly.

Healthcare compliance requires the active engagement and collaboration of various stakeholders, including healthcare providers, administrators, regulatory bodies, legal experts, policymakers and patients. Stringent protocols govern patient data privacy, cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive information, adherence to treatment standards for optimal patient care, and ethics to guide healthcare professionals. This multifaceted approach is essential not only for maintaining regulatory compliance but also for safeguarding patient welfare. As such, healthcare compliance jobs are important to help maintain the trust and integrity of the healthcare system.��

Many laws regulate the healthcare industry. While the following isn’t an exhaustive list of laws and regulations, these are some important ones:

• Protects private patient information from being shared without a patient’s knowledge or consent.
• : Expands the scope of HIPAA and provides healthcare facilities with certain standards for using IT to implement electronic health records.
• Ensures the public can access emergency treatment regardless of whether they can pay.
• Encourages the reporting, discussion and resolution of patient safety issues. It also authorizes the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to provide a database of patient safety organizations.
• Prohibits providers and organizations from receiving financial incentives for a patient referral when the federal government may be charged for those services.
• : Makes filing a false claim for federal program funds illegal and��punishable with fines, and the government can recover damages.

These laws are in place primarily to protect patients and ensure that all individuals have equitable access to healthcare in the U.S.

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Noncompliance in healthcare can lead to grave consequences, including legal actions. However, there are several other serious consequences that organizations and people can face if compliance standards are mishandled. Failure to comply with healthcare regulations may lead to patient harm, for example, which results in healthcare professionals potentially facing disciplinary actions that can impact their medical license.

If a healthcare organization is noncompliant, it can face fines and legal charges, not to mention a damaged reputation and loss of trust among patients and other stakeholders. Patients seek a high quality of care; if they are in the market for a new healthcare provider, it stands to reason they might choose one that hasn’t been involved in a lawsuit or complaint.