HITRUST vs HIPAA : Compare Differences and Similarities

HIPAA and HITRUST are two standards often used interchangeably in the healthcare industry. Despite having overlapping requirements and the same goal – to secure protected health information (PHI), their applicability differs in many ways. This raises the question: which is right to secure data in the healthcare industry? Which makes more sense for my type of service?

This article helps to understand the key differences between HIPAA and HITRUST so that you can make an informed decision. 

TL;DR 

HIPAA is a mandatory federal law for healthcare entities, while HITRUST is a voluntary, private framework that incorporates multiple standards including HIPAA.

HIPAA compliance is self-assessed, whereas HITRUST offers certification through a rigorous, multi-stage process with different levels of assurance.

Both aim to protect sensitive health information, but HITRUST provides more specific, prescriptive controls and is applicable to a broader range of organizations beyond just healthcare.

What is HIPAA and HITRUST? 

HIPAA is a federal law that sets guidelines to protect patient health information in the US healthcare system. It’s mandatory for covered entities and business associates who handle electronic health records.

HITRUST is a voluntary, private framework that provides a comprehensive set of security controls. It incorporates multiple standards, including HIPAA, to help organizations manage information risk and demonstrate compliance across various industries, particularly in healthcare.

Why are HIPAA and HITRUST required?

HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) guides individuals or health organizations to protect sensitive patient information. HIPAA boosts the efficiency of healthcare systems while protecting patient privacy through optimal data sharing which prevents intentional or accidental disclosure. 

HITRUST (Health Information Trust) helps a wide range of organizations, especially the healthcare sector demonstrate good security, privacy, and compliance practices. HITRUST’s proprietary risk management framework, the HITRUST CSF (Common Security Framework) is commonly adopted by private and public sectors, especially in the field of healthcare. It combines practices from other frameworks like PCI DSS, ISO 27000 series, HIPAA, and NIST into a single framework. 

Difference between HIPAA vs HITRUST

In essence, HIPAA is the healthcare-specific rule book, while HITRUST is the all-purpose security toolkit that can be tailored to fit any industry’s needs

HIPAA stands as a federal mandate, crafting a blueprint for safeguarding patient health data across the U.S. healthcare landscape. It’s the law of the land for medical providers, insurers, and their business partners, setting the bar for protecting sensitive information.

HITRUST is not just for hospitals. This framework is the go-to toolkit for locking down data across any industry. Think of it as a customizable security blueprint that goes beyond just checking boxes.

Cost 

HIPAA 

Entity	Cost category	Cost estimate
Small covered entities	Risk analysis and management	Approximately $2000
	Remediation	$1,000 to $8,000
	Training and policy development	$1,000 to $2,000
Medium to large covered entities	Onsite audit	40,000 or more
	Risk analysis and management	$20,000 or more
	Vulnerability scans	Typically around $800
	Penetration testing	Starting from $5,000
	Training and policy development	Typically around $5,000 or more

HITRUST

Variation	Controls	Implementation time	Charges
e1 basic	44	5-6 months	$10,000
i2 moderate	182	5-6 months	$25,200
r2 high	25-1800 (depends on scoping)	6-9 months	Up to 250 controls: $25,000. From 251st control onwards: $50 per control

HIPAA vs HITRUST

HIPAA is a federal law that sets guidelines to protect the PHI of US patients. HITRUST CSF establishes a set of prescriptive controls that helps to meet information security requirements.

Check out this video to understand the difference between HIPAA and HITRUST in detail:

Let us break down all the differentiators in detail. Here’s the difference between HIPAA and HITRUST broken down into six:

Type

HIPAA

HIPAA is compulsory for covered entities (CE) and business associates (BA) who manage, transmit, or process electronic health records (EHR). CE includes Health Plans, like health insurance companies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), company health plans, and certain government programs that pay for health care like Medicare and Medicaid. BA includes third-party administrators, CPA firms who offer accounting services, attorneys who provide legal services, or any consultants. 

HITRUST

HITRUST is a law that is mandatory for healthcare service providers. If you break the privacy or security rule, you are looking at monetary fines or jail time depending on the severity as per the breach notification rule. 

Scope of compliance 

HIPAA

HIPAA rules are covered in five titles, of which title 2 is most relevant to cybersecurity. Title 2 is further divided into five rules – privacy, transactions and code sets, security, unique identifiers, and enforcement.

HITRUST

HITRUST is a private framework solution and is not mandatory for healthcare service providers. You can be HITRUST certified but still violate the privacy and security rules of HIPAA. 

Certification

HIPAA

Unlike HITRUST, you cannot be HIPAA certified but rather be HIPAA compliant. There is no process to officially validate if your organization implements the practices mandated by HIPAA. Rather, you may hire a third party to evaluate your practice’s compliance status through an audit. 

HITRUST

HITRUST is a prescriptive framework. The CSF comprises 49 control objectives and 156 control specifications that outline how each task team should work to achieve them. Moreover, HITRUST is more flexible as it offers three levels of compliance based on difficulty. 

Enforcing body

HIPAA

HIPAA privacy and security rules are enforced by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

HITRUST

HITRUST is a privately owned company based in Frisco, Texas. It collaborates with healthcare, technology and information security organizations to establish the HITRUST cybersecurity framework (CSF). 

Application

HIPAA

Users can visit the HITRUST portal, perform a self-assessment, select the degree of assurance and certification. The portal recommends controls and assigns an assessor to conduct an audit. The assessor reviews controls, documentations, and penetration testing reports and compiles a report. HITRUST reviews it for the final approval. 

HITRUST

HITRUST is for organizations who wish to secure their sensitive information, manage information risk, and ensure compliance with frameworks like HIPAA and SOC 2. Being a voluntary framework, it does not penalize organizations who fail to comply. 

Implementation

HIPAA

Users can visit the HITRUST portal, perform a self-assessment, select the degree of assurance and certification. The portal recommends controls and assigns an assessor to conduct an audit. The assessor reviews controls, documentation, and penetration testing reports and compiles a report. HITRUST reviews it for the final approval. 

HITRUST

The HITRUST certification process roughly takes around one to two years. The end to end process generally involves four stages – gap analysis, remediation, HITRUST assessment, and validation and review. Factors such as size of the organization, the number of employees, amount of systems also determine the final number. 

Similarities between HIPAA vs HITRUST

As you know by now, both HIPAA and HITRUST are designed to serve the same goal – protect sensitive information. You can expect a number of requirements and practices to be common as HITRUST integrates HIPAA requirements within its framework.

 Which one should you choose? HIPAA Or HITRUST 

 The decision between HITRUST and HIPAA is not an either-or choice, but depends on your organization’s specific needs and industry. HIPAA is mandatory for healthcare organizations in the United States, setting minimum standards for protecting patient health information. 

HITRUST, on the other hand, is a voluntary framework applicable to any industry, incorporating HIPAA requirements along with other security standards.

For healthcare organizations, HIPAA compliance is non-negotiable, while HITRUST certification can be pursued as an additional measure to enhance security and demonstrate a stronger commitment to data protection. 

Non-healthcare organizations aren’t subject to HIPAA but may choose to adopt HITRUST to implement a strong security framework and potentially attract clients from various industries, including healthcare. 

Ultimately, many organizations opt to implement HITRUST in addition to HIPAA to achieve a higher level of security and demonstrate compliance with multiple standards simultaneously.

Conclusion

Hope this clears the confusion. If you are still not sure which to choose, we got a solution to all your healthcare security challenges. 

Sprinto maps multiple framework requirements using a single platform. This tool has pre-built control checks that monitor for system failures, tracks compliance status, documents audit trails, and alerts users to patch security issues. Whether you’re looking at HIPAA or HITRUST, Sprinto helps you align with both requirements.

Connect with our experts today and see how we can help you. 

FAQs 

What does HITRUST stand for?

HITRUST stands for Health Information Trust Alliance. It’s an organization that created a common security framework (CSF) to help various industries, including healthcare, manage information risk and protect sensitive data.

What is HIPAA in security?

HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, includes a Security Rule that sets national standards for protecting electronic personal health information. It requires appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic protected health information.

What is the HITRUST risk assessment for HIPAA?

While not exclusively for HIPAA, it incorporates HIPAA requirements and can help organizations achieve and demonstrate HIPAA compliance as part of a broader information security program.

Is HITRUST only for healthcare?

No, HITRUST is not limited to healthcare. While it originated in the healthcare industry and is widely used there, the HITRUST CSF is designed to be applicable across various industries. Any organization that handles sensitive information can benefit from implementing the HITRUST framework to manage information risk and enhance their overall security posture.

If I’m HIPAA Compliant, Do I Still Need HITRUST Certification?

Being HIPAA compliant means you’re meeting the legal standards for protecting patient health information, but HITRUST certification takes things a step further. 

While you don’t legally need HITRUST certification if you’re HIPAA compliant, it can be beneficial. It shows a stronger commitment to security, which can help with compliance across different regulations. Plus, some companies might prefer or even require their partners to have HITRUST certification. So, while HIPAA compliance is necessary, HITRUST can offer an added layer of security and credibility depending on your business needs.