We are based outside the US — does HIPAA apply?
If you handle PHI on behalf of a US covered entity, yes — and a Business Associate Agreement is required.
Extended FAQs
Extended FAQs — HIPAA Compliance for Healthcare
Extended answers to the questions buyers, boards and procurement teams ask before commissioning HIPAA Compliance for Healthcare.
- ISO/IEC 27001 Certified
- ISO/IEC 27701 Certified
- ISO 9001 Certified
Delivered by an ISO/IEC 27001, 27701 & 9001 certified organisation
What is the difference between a Covered Entity and a Business Associate?
Covered Entities are health plans, healthcare providers and clearinghouses. Business Associates are vendors that create, receive, maintain or transmit PHI on behalf of a CE. Both have direct HIPAA liability.
How long does HIPAA implementation take?
Typically 12 to 20 weeks for a focused programme, longer for hospital systems with complex EHR estates. Existing ISO 27001 controls shorten the timeline materially.
Does HIPAA require encryption?
Encryption is an addressable specification, not strictly required — but in practice unencrypted PHI is the leading cause of OCR breach fines. We implement encryption at rest and in transit as the safe-harbour default.
What about HITECH and state laws?
Our programmes cover HITECH breach-notification expansion plus material state laws (California CMIA, Texas Medical Records Privacy Act, NY SHIELD) where in scope.
Will HIPAA prepare us for HITRUST?
Yes — HIPAA Security Rule controls map directly into HITRUST CSF. Many clients use HIPAA implementation as Stage 1 for an i1 or r2 HITRUST assessment.
How do you handle a breach during the engagement?
We trigger the 60-day individual and HHS notification clock, draft regulator-ready disclosure templates and coordinate with legal counsel and forensic responders.
How experienced is the team that will actually deliver HIPAA Compliance for Healthcare?
Every engagement is led by a partner or principal with at least 12 years in compliance & certification and supported by certified consultants (CISA, CISM, CISSP, CIPP/E, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, ISO 42001 Lead Implementer, OSCP, CREST). You meet the actual delivery team before contracts are signed.
How do you handle confidentiality and data residency?
All client data stays within the regions you authorise. NDAs are signed before scoping calls, and we offer fully on-premise delivery for sensitive engagements. For UAE and KSA clients, evidence remains in-country by default.
Can MAST work alongside our existing Big 4 auditor?
Yes. We routinely collaborate with EY, Deloitte, KPMG, PwC, BDO and Grant Thornton as your implementation partner while they retain audit independence. Roles are agreed upfront in writing to preserve auditor independence rules.
Do you offer multi-year continuous compliance?
Yes — our Managed Compliance Service operates the programme on a monthly subscription, covering control monitoring, evidence collection, internal audit and recertification across every framework in scope.
How is success measured?
Success criteria are agreed in the engagement charter — typically a passed certification or regulator submission, an audit-ready evidence repository, trained control owners and a 12-month continuous-improvement plan.