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On the Hunt for the Best CPA Review Course out There? 6 Questions You Need to Ask Before Making the Decision

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article | On the Hunt for the Best CPA Review Course out There? 6 Questions You Need to Ask Before Making the DecisionIf you are planning to take the CPA exam, you are probably very aware of exam courses. In fact, most experts agree that taking the CPA exam without taking one of these courses is a lot like having someone blindfold you, turn you around several times, then having you throw a dart at a dartboard and expecting to hit the target. You might accomplish your mission, but it would be excruciatingly difficult to do. That’s why taking a CPA prep course, whether in-person or online, is so important.

If you have done any homework on these exam reviews, the chances are good that you have already discovered that there are many of them. The following six questions will help you select the one that is right for you, or at least get you headed in the right direction.

1. Are there any virtual CPA exam review classes? As many review courses as there are, not all of them are created equal. Some are given online, while others are in-person. Some are a combination of both. Some are better than others. Be sure you pick the format that works best for you and your schedule.

2. Is there an instructor available to speak with? As great as online courses are, there is no substitute for being able to interact with a real human. Ask if you have this option available.

3. How long will a candidate have access to the materials, and can their access be extended if the person runs out of time? Most CPA exam reviews are goldmines of materials, but these are of little good if after you complete the course you have no access to them.

4. What is the total cost of the course, and are there discounts available? CPA exam review courses aren’t cheap. In fact, some are as expensive as a used car, so unless you have someone bankrolling you, you will need to come up with the money for those fees. Make sure you know what that price tag is and whether you can handle it. Be sure to ask if they offer discounts and if you qualify for them.

5. What is the policy about students who fail a part or parts of the exam? Can a candidate retake that part of the review course? Some review courses offer students who don’t pass legs of the exam the opportunity to take those portions of the course again. Make sure the course you select offers this.

6. Can a person get updates as they are released, and is there a cost for this? Most CPA review courses are good about keeping their materials up to date. Make sure that the course you elect to take is one of them. Otherwise, all you will be learning is information that is out of date and won’t help you pass the exam a bit.

These questions should give you a start. Most CPA review courses have this information and much more on their websites, but if you can’t find it, or have other questions, be sure to ask. You have a right to know what you are paying for as well as to make sure that the course lives up to your expectations. Helping you to pass the CPA exam is not only their most important job, it’s their only job.

Secure Transmissions: 5 Tips for HIPAA Compliant Faxing

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article | Secure Transmissions: 5 Tips for HIPAA Compliant FaxingHealthcare workers need to keep the privacy of their patients’ information in mind at all times. That goes for not just in-person communications with patients, caregivers, and other providers but also for information sharing processes like faxing. Since most healthcare organizations still send faxes on a daily basis, all workers should ensure compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) at all times. Read on to find five tips for how to ensure compliance.

Switch to a HIPAA-Compliant Fax Service

Using traditional fax machines made for general use is a great way to wind up in a world of legal trouble. Healthcare facilities that still use traditional fax machines should make the switch to a secure web-based hipaa fax service immediately.

Specialized online fax services designed for the healthcare industry offer a number of security features to ensure HIPAA compliance. They use secure socket layer protocols, at-rest encryption, user authentication, and advanced data center security to ensure that patients’ protected health information (PHI) cannot be accessed by external actors. A good fax service will also keep document transmission logs and record log on/log off events associated with IP addresses for an added level of security.

Never Leave Faxes Unattended

Human error is one of the most common sources of HIPAA violations. Healthcare workers should be trained never to leave faxes that contain PHI or other sensitive information unattended. They must stay at the machines until the fax goes through, then remove the document immediately.

Before sending the fax, healthcare workers should also call patients to ensure that their fax machines are in protected locations. In this case, a protected location can be considered any fax machine located out of the line of sight of the public.

Don’t Forget the Cover Sheet

HIPAA requires healthcare providers to include a cover sheet each time they transmit protected health information. There is no official standard for what must be included on the cover sheet, but at a minimum, it should include the patient’s name, the receiver’s name and fax number, the sender’s name, fax number, and organization, the date and time of sending, and the HIPAA disclaimer. Cover sheets must be used not just when sending traditional faxes but also when using online fax apps, so make sure the app has a protocol in place for attaching cover pages when switching to HIPAA-compliant fax service.

Keep an Audit Trail

Healthcare providers must keep detailed records of all the activity on their systems, whether they use online fax apps or traditional machines. Switching to a HIPAA-compliant fax service makes keeping audit trails much easier since the app should be able to log activity automatically.

HIPAA requires healthcare providers to keep records of audit trails for at least six years. Healthcare facilities that use online fax services should keep raw records for the first six months to one year before compressing them.

Be Aware of PHI Stored Locally

Most healthcare data breaches occur when malicious actors access patients’ PHI on local devices and portable media like laptops and removable drives. Healthcare facilities that are unable to prevent these data breaches may be fined. It’s better to use a cloud-based service that automatically encrypts all documents than to keep on unsecured and unencrypted local devices.

The Bottom Line

HIPAA was designed to protect patients’ sensitive information. Healthcare facilities that do not follow these regulations can be fined and will face substantial damage to their reputations. Make sure all healthcare providers are on the same page about ensuring compliance while faxing sensitive documents.

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