Key Takeaways
- HIPAA Secure Now! provides HIPAA compliance and human-security services, including risk assessments, workforce training, and policy and procedure support.
- RRS is HIPAA Secure Now! certified as part of our approach to protecting sensitive information handled during medical record retrieval.
- HHS and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) do not certify companies or products as “HIPAA compliant,” so private certifications should not be confused with government approval.
- Medical record retrieval security involves more than secure file delivery. Access, workforce awareness, request documentation, and the handling of electronic protected health information also matter.
- Buyers should evaluate the operational controls behind a security designation rather than relying on a badge alone.
- RRS combines compliance-focused practices with RecordSync capabilities, including role-based access, audit trails, chain-of-custody visibility, and secure record delivery.
HIPAA Secure Now! (HSN) is a HIPAA compliance and human-security provider that offers risk assessment, workforce training, policy and procedure support, and other compliance resources.Â
For RRS, HSN is relevant because medical record retrieval involves handling sensitive health information throughout a multi-step workflow.
RRS is HIPAA Secure Now! certified and displays the HIPAA Secured designation as part of our broader commitment to protecting client data.Â
However, an important distinction matters: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does not officially certify companies or products as “HIPAA compliant.” HSN is a private compliance program, not a federal approval.
What Is HIPAA Secure Now! (HSN)?
HIPAA Secure Now! is a private provider of HIPAA compliance and human security. Its compliance services include HIPAA risk assessments, privacy and security training, and policies and procedures designed to help covered entities and business associates manage HIPAA requirements.
HSN also emphasizes what it calls “human security.” The concept recognizes that protecting health information depends partly on the people who access systems, communicate information, and follow organizational security procedures.
That connection is particularly relevant to medical record retrieval.
A retrieval workflow may involve authorization documentation, provider correspondence, access to records, quality review, and final delivery. Technology is important, but people still perform critical tasks throughout the process.
For RRS, participation in a structured compliance program supports the broader discipline required in managing medical record retrieval requests.
Is HIPAA Secure Now! an Official Government HIPAA Certification?
No. HIPAA Secure Now! is not a government-issued HIPAA certification, and HHS does not officially certify companies or products as “HIPAA compliant.”
HHS specifically states that the HIPAA Security Rule does not require covered entities to “certify” compliance. An organization may use an external company that provides evaluation or certification services, but such services do not constitute an HHS endorsement or federal certification.
This distinction matters when evaluating a medical record retrieval partner.
RRS publicly states that we are HIPAA Secure Now! certified. We use that designation to communicate our participation in the HSN compliance program. We do not view a certification badge as a substitute for the actual processes used to protect sensitive information.
For buyers, the better question is not simply, “Does the company have a HIPAA badge?”
A better question is: What compliance practices support that designation? How is the workforce trained? How are risks evaluated? Who can access medical records? What documentation exists when records move through the retrieval workflow?
Those questions reveal more about operational security than a logo alone.
Why Does HSN Matter in Medical Record Retrieval?
HSN matters to medical record retrieval because retrieval workflows can involve protected health information (PHI) and electronic protected health information (ePHI). The HIPAA Security Rule establishes administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for ePHI handled by regulated entities.
Workforce awareness and training
Employees are part of the security environment for medical record retrieval.
A team member may review request information, communicate with a provider, process received records, or prepare files for delivery. Each interaction creates a reason for clear security policies and workforce awareness.
HSN provides privacy and security training as part of its compliance services. For RRS, ongoing attention to workforce security supports the human side of medical record handling.
Risk assessment and policies
The HIPAA Security Rule requires regulated entities to evaluate risks and vulnerabilities affecting ePHI and implement reasonable and appropriate security measures.
HSN’s compliance program includes HIPAA risk assessment and support for policies and procedures. These practices matter because security risks can change as organizations adopt new systems, modify workflows, or change how employees access information.
Medical record retrieval is a managed workflow. Compliance practices should evolve with the systems and processes used to manage that workflow.
Secure access and request documentation
Medical record retrieval also requires visibility into who can access information and what has happened during a request.
Within RecordSync, RRS supports role-based access, audit trails, chain-of-custody documentation, and secure record delivery. These capabilities give retrieval teams a clearer view of request activity while supporting controlled access to sensitive information.
HSN and RecordSync serve different purposes. HSN supports RRS’s broader compliance and human-security program. RecordSync supports the operational management of medical record retrieval requests.
Together, they reflect an important RRS principle: technology should support secure retrieval operations, but technology does not replace the policies, training, and operational work required to manage medical records responsibly.
What Does HSN Mean for RRS Clients?
For RRS clients, our HIPAA Secure Now! certification means we participate in an external HIPAA compliance program as part of our broader security approach.
The practical value should be evaluated alongside the retrieval workflow itself.
A personal injury law firm may need medical records for case evaluation and litigation. A property and casualty claims team may depend on records for claim review. A clinical research organization may need source documentation to support a research workflow.
The business use cases differ, but the underlying question remains similar: How is sensitive medical information handled as the retrieval request is in transit?
At RRS, we address that question through compliance-focused practices and retrieval visibility. RecordSync centralizes request submission, status tracking, secure delivery, and request documentation. Role-based access and audit trails help teams understand who can access information and maintain a clearer request history.
Security is strongest when compliance practices and retrieval operations support each other.
How Should You Evaluate a Medical Record Retrieval Partner’s HIPAA Practices?
Buyers should look beyond a HIPAA badge and evaluate how a retrieval partner manages sensitive information in practice.
What to Evaluate | What to Ask |
Compliance program | Does the company use a structured process for HIPAA risk assessment, policies, and compliance management? |
Workforce training | How are employees trained to handle PHI and recognize security risks? |
Access controls | Can access to medical records be limited based on user roles and responsibilities? |
Request documentation | Can your team see request activity, provider responses, and record history? |
Secure delivery | How are retrieved medical records made available to authorized users? |
From RRS’s perspective, the strongest evaluation question is simple: What happens to PHI at every stage of the medical record retrieval workflow?
A retrieval partner should be able to explain the process clearly.
Security should not begin when the final PDF is delivered. It should be considered when a request is submitted, when information is communicated to providers, when records are received, when employees access those records, and when the completed file is delivered to the client.
Conclusion
HIPAA Secure Now! is a private HIPAA compliance and human-security provider that supports organizations with risk assessments, training, policies, and compliance resources. RRS is HIPAA Secure Now! certified as part of our approach to protecting sensitive information.
The designation is not a government-issued HIPAA certification and should not be treated as such. The more important consideration is the compliance discipline and operational controls behind it.
For medical record retrieval, RRS believes security should be part of the entire request workflow. Our compliance-focused practices work alongside RecordSync’s role-based access, audit trails, chain-of-custody visibility, and secure delivery capabilities to support a more controlled retrieval process.
If your organization is evaluating how medical records are requested, tracked, accessed, and delivered, book a demo with us to see how our retrieval workflow works.
FAQs
What does HSN stand for?
HSN refers to HIPAA Secure Now!, a private company that provides HIPAA compliance and human-security services. Its services include HIPAA risk assessments, privacy and security training, and policy and procedure support for covered entities and business associates.
