In today’s digital healthcare landscape, protecting patient privacy is paramount. AdminaHealth takes this responsibility seriously, as evidenced by our AdminaHealth Billing Suite® having achieved the prestigious HITRUST CSF® Certification and HITRUST’s certification of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. These certifications show that AdminaHealth has controls in place that address current cybersecurity threats. Furthermore, they validate our ability to detect, protect, respond, and recover from cybersecurity incidents.
But what does this mean for you, and why is HITRUST a better measure of compliance compared to the widely used SOC 2 framework?
Understanding the Importance of Security Certifications
When you entrust software with your employee’s sensitive data, including healthcare data associated with their benefits, you need confidence the software has robust security measures in place. Certifications like HITRUST and SOC 2 offer independent verification of the software’s security posture. Independent auditors evaluate specific controls against established frameworks, ensuring they meet rigorous security standards to keep your data safe.
HITRUST vs SOC 2: Tailored Focus vs Broad Scope
Both HITRUST and SOC 2 address information security and privacy. However, they differ significantly in their focus and scope:
- SOC 2: Developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), SOC 2 focuses on a broader range of industries and assesses controls relevant to five key trust service principles: Security, Availability, Confidentiality, Processing Integrity, and Privacy. Organizations can choose which principles to report on, tailoring the audit to their specific needs.
- HITRUST: HITRUST assessments are based on threat data. A HITRUST certification is protection against threats that are happening today instead of controls that may have been written years ago. While industry agnostic, HITRUST was initially developed specifically for the healthcare industry. HITRUST builds upon the foundations laid by HIPAA, the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, ISO/IEC 27000-series, and other relevant regulations. It provides a comprehensive framework with specific controls designed to address the unique security and privacy challenges faced by organizations handling protected health information (PHI).
Why HITRUST is Superior for AdminaHealth and Your Healthcare Data
HITRUST certification is a better measure of data safety and compliance for the AdminaHealth Billing Suite, especially given our focus on employee benefits data containing PHI:
- Specificity for Healthcare: HITRUST goes beyond SOC 2’s broad scope by explicitly addressing the security and privacy requirements of HIPAA and other healthcare regulations. This ensures AdminaHealth’s controls are directly aligned with the most critical regulations in our industry.
- Number of Controls: HITRUST has 198 – 2,000 controls, depending on an organization’s profile such as their size, structure, boundary, and scope definition. The number is larger if an organization choses to be r2 or i1 certified. (AdminaHealth is r2 certified.) SOC 2 has generally less than 100 controls, unless Privacy is included.
- Deeper Focus on PHI: Compared to SOC 2’s general privacy principle, HITRUST offers a more in-depth focus on protecting PHI. This includes controls specific to access control, data encryption, and audit trails for employee benefits data, ensuring the highest level of security for your sensitive information.
- Stronger Regulatory Alignment: HITRUST incorporates the specific requirements of HIPAA and other healthcare regulations into its framework. This means achieving HITRUST certification demonstrates a higher level of compliance with these critical regulations compared to SOC 2. HITRUST also maps to GDPR and best practices, whereas SOC 2 has no official mapping.
- Demonstrated Maturity: Earning HITRUST certification signifies a more mature security program compared to SOC 2 compliance. This is because HITRUST requires a more rigorous assessment process, including a deeper examination of security controls and ongoing risk management practices.
Why an Employee Benefits SaaS Solution with HITRUST is More Secure
Since the Software as a Service (SaaS) solution the AdminaHealth Billing Suite for employee benefits premium billing administration ingests PHI, HITRUST certification offers several advantages:
- Enhanced Confidence: HITRUST certification demonstrates our commitment to the highest level of security for healthcare data, giving you greater peace of mind about your employee benefits information.
- Reduced Risk: Choosing a HITRUST-certified vendor reduces your own security risk by ensuring robust controls are in place to protect sensitive data. This minimizes the likelihood of breaches or unauthorized access to your information. According to the 2024 Trust Report, less than 1% of organizations with a HITRUST certification reported security breaches to HITRUST over 2022 and 2023.
- Streamlined Compliance: Selecting a HITRUST-certified SaaS solution can streamline your own HIPAA compliance efforts. Since AdminaHealth has already demonstrated compliance with many key HIPAA requirements, integrating our services simplifies your own audits and assessments.
Opting for HITRUST Security
While both HITRUST and SOC 2 offer valuable insights into a software platform’s security posture, for employee benefits administration solutions like AdminaHealth handling PHI, HITRUST provides a clear advantage. It delivers a more targeted framework specifically designed to address the unique needs of healthcare data and ensures a higher level of compliance with HIPAA and other regulations.
By choosing the AdminaHealth Billing Suite, a platform with HITRUST certification, you receive a stronger guarantee of security and privacy for your sensitive employee benefits data, ultimately fostering greater trust and peace of mind.
We recommend researching and prioritizing HITRUST certification when selecting vendors who handle your healthcare data. Remember, your data’s security is paramount, and choosing partners that prioritize the highest security standards ensures your valuable information remains protected.
Interested in exploring the AdminaHealth Billing Suite? Contact us for more information or to schedule a demo.