One of the most significant changes in the structure of the American political environment in the past few years is undoubtedly the controversial Affordable Care Act (ACA), widely known as ‘Obamacare’. The ACA was passed into legislation in 2010 as a method of improving the availability and reliability of healthcare for all Americans. While there are many facets to this legislation, one that is not particularly widely know is its effect on the destruction of medical records.

An important aspect of the ACA is the expansion of the federal government’s Electronic Medical Records (EMR) collection. This includes delegating funds towards the integration of EMR technology with the goal of encouraging physicians to more effectively utilize these newly available technologies. Healthcare providers are offered incentives for participating in this EMR program, while Medicare providers who fail to participate may be faced with penalties. The level of both incentives and penalties increases periodically as time progresses. To ensure safety of personal information, any entity participating must meet specific meaningful use requirements for online billing and patient records.

While the safety of these electronic records are protected under this new legislation, what happens to all the excess paperwork that will now be obsolete thanks to this new innovation? Unfortunately, ineffective medical records disposal can leave this sensitive information susceptible to theft and other criminal activity. Dumpster-diving identity thieves will be having a second Christmas this year if proper medical records disposal is lacking in companies moving towards EMR.

To help ensure the privacy of your personal information, leading document destruction companies like Proshred® are working with healthcare and medical professionals to secure proper medical records disposal.  Proshred®’s state-of-the-art practices are fully compliant with U.S. regulations regarding thedestruction of medical records and go hand-in-hand with the EMR mandates set to take effect this coming year.

Doctors, clinics, dentists, pharmacies and virtually all health care providers benefit from using propermedical records disposal practices by avoiding potential fines and legal issues from lack of compliance, while the families they serve benefit from the comfort of knowing their most sensitive and personal information is safe. This win-win situation keeps business running smoothly and keeps families safe and secure, fighting the battle against identity thieves and other criminals. Don’t let identity thieves celebrate a second Christmas this year by learning more about proper medical records disposal and the latest laws and regulations set to take place in 2014 to safeguard your sensitive and personal information.

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