What is required of covered entities in terms of employee training under HIPAA?

Under HIPAA, covered entities have a clear obligation to train their employees on policies and procedures related to the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule. This training is vital to ensure that employees understand how to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of protected health information (PHI). Therefore, comprehensive training that includes specific HIPAA policies and procedures must be conducted for all employees who handle PHI.

This requirement is designed to help mitigate the risk of unintentional violations – employees need to be informed about their responsibilities under HIPAA to foster a culture of compliance. The training must be meaningful and applicable to each employee's role within the organization, covering necessary aspects of HIPAA compliance, rather than being a general overview.

Given this context, the other options do not align with HIPAA’s training requirements. Training is not optional; it is mandatory. Ongoing training is necessary, not just a one-time event, to ensure that employees remain compliant as policies and regulations may change. Additionally, it is not sufficient to train only management; all employees who handle or have access to PHI must be trained appropriately.