HIPAA Changes Coming in 2026: What Healthcare Organizations Should Know

Healthcare organizations are preparing for significant updates to HIPAA regulations expected in 2026. These changes reflect the increasing frequency of cyber incidents, ransomware attacks, and data breaches impacting the healthcare sector.

At Exodo IT, we support several home health and healthcare-adjacent organizations and operate under Business Associate Agreements. Staying aligned with HIPAA compliance requirements is a core responsibility of our role as a managed service provider.

Why HIPAA Is Being Updated

The HIPAA Security Rule has not seen major updates since 2013. Since then, healthcare technology has shifted heavily toward cloud platforms, remote access, mobile devices, and third-party integrations.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, reported healthcare data breaches have more than doubled in the last five years, prompting regulators to move toward clearer, enforceable security requirements.

“Organizations must be able to demonstrate that security safeguards are implemented, monitored, and maintained—not just documented.”

Key Changes Expected in 2026

• Mandatory annual risk assessments with documented remediation plans
• Expanded MFA expectations for systems accessing ePHI
• Stronger incident response requirements including tabletop testing
• Greater accountability for Business Associates during audits and investigations

What This Means for Home Health Providers

Home health organizations often rely on remote staff, mobile devices, and cloud-based documentation systems. These environments require additional controls to ensure patient data remains protected.

Our Role as a Business Associate

Exodo IT maintains documented access controls, audit logging, endpoint protection, and incident response procedures aligned with HIPAA Security Rule requirements. Our compliance posture directly supports our clients’ compliance obligations.

Preparing Now

Organizations that begin preparing now—by reviewing policies, technical controls, and documentation— will be far better positioned when enforcement begins.