Blockchain, a system first adopted in the financial world that allows 比特币等加密货币 to operate, is taking the healthcare industry by storm (in a good way). Many believe it could be the answer to numerous security challenges that have plagued the healthcare industry in the past few years.

As blockchain continues to grow in popularity, both in the financial 和 healthcare industries, 我们LBMC的网络安全团队 is committed to staying on top of this emerging technology solution 和 providing our clients with relevant information about blockchain 和 the difference it could make in the cybersecurity industry, 特别是在医疗保健方面. Let’s address some of the most common questions we’ve received regarding blockchain 和 its impact on the healthcare industry.

什么是加密货币?

Regulators of all stripes have looked at blockchain technology – 和 the cryptocurrencies that have proliferated in recent years – 和 come to their own conclusions about whether 和/or how to regulate the industry. Here is a rundown of the current state of play:

  • Securities 和 Exchange Commission – Cryptocurrencies issued via Initial Coin Offering (ICO) or Initial Token Offering (ITO) are securities.
  • Commodity Futures Trading Commission – Cryptocurrencies are commodities.
  • Department of Treasury – Cryptocurrencies are currencies 和 ICOs are subject to FinCEN money transmitter rules 和 reporting.
  • Internal Revenue Service – Cryptocurrencies are property 和 their sale is taxable.

In short, four separate regulators think they have dominion over cryptocurrencies in some way.

什么是区块链?

Blockchain technology has been around for almost 10 years. From the launch of Bitcoin – the first blockchain application – in 2009, a lot has changed in the regulatory l和scape. Companies operating in this space have begun to rethink 和 reshape their funding model in response to regulatory pressures. To say there is regulatory uncertainty in this area is an understatement.

At its core, blockchain is a distributed system for recording 和 storing transaction records. 更具体地说, 区块链是一个, unchangeable record of peer-to-peer transactions built from linked transaction blocks 和 stored in a digital ledger.

Blockchain users can only update the “block” (transaction record) to which they have access.  Once a user submits an update request, the participating parties run algorithms to evaluate the proposed record update, 和, 一旦获得批准, those updates get replicated across the network, so that all other parties are aware of the transaction update that was just made. 以这种方式, interactions with the blockchain are known to all participants 和 require verification by the network before information is added or replicated. All entries are time 和 date stamped, which provides a detailed audit trail of all interactions. The data is encrypted, unchangeable, 和 is up-to-date on all participants’ systems.

How could blockchain revolutionize the healthcare industry?

Because records are spread across a network of replicated databases, blockchain provides a new degree of potential security benefits for the massive amounts of data healthcare organizations are responsible for managing.

While blockchain provides the healthcare industry with a variety of opportunities for enhanced medical research 和 simplified financial management, here are a few specific ways it may be leveraged for improved data management 和 security:

  • Enhanced Data Interoperability 和 Security — In the absence of a national patient identifier, blockchain could be a great mechanism for keeping individuals 和 their records together. Because Blockchain validates 和 stores data in patterns that can’t be modified, it has potential to be a key component of the infrastructure that is needed to keep health data up-to-date, private 和 secure while facilitating the ability to share information with appropriate parties (as in a health information exchange) 和 further enable the benefits of connected medical devices. This new level of interoperability could help providers eliminate some IT challenges associated with providing exceptional patient care across the healthcare ecosystem in a cost-effective manner.
  • 欺诈防范 — Blockchain-based systems could help minimize Medicare Fraud, which suffered more than $30 million in losses due to fraud in 2016. 例如, proactive monitoring of the patterns that cybercriminals use could inform fraud detection systems that rely on machine learning to continually improve their sensitivity.

Income 税es Matter - Rethinking the Structure of the ICO Model

Blockchain companies have often relied on the issuance of tokens or coins to raise money. Essentially, the ICO/ITO model is crowdfunding for blockchain start-ups. Companies took great pains to structure their offerings, with the help of their legal counsel, to ensure that SEC regulations did not apply. This was typically done by designing the token or coin to have utility on the network rather than having features of a regulated security.

然而, companies are increasingly thinking about leaning into SEC regulations 和 structuring the offerings as registered securities. The tokens or coins can be offered in private placements to accredited investors 和 registered with the SEC. The acceptance of SEC oversight during the ICO process can help alleviate uncertainty down the road.

The IRS treats cryptocurrency as property 和 the sale of tokens or coins is subject to federal income tax. For companies issuing utility tokens, this presents a host of challenges for early-stage blockchain start-ups as a substantial portion of the money raised via ICO is earmarked for taxes.

For companies issuing securities via the blockchain, special attention must be paid to the structure of the offering. There is potential for a worst-of-both-worlds outcome where an offering is subject to SEC regulations while also being subject to income tax according to the IRS.

在任何一种模式下, it is essential to have your tax advisor involved from the beginning of the ICO process to help reduce 和 plan for the potential tax burden.

What are the challenges of blockchain technology?

Although blockchain technology could be a catalyst of change in the healthcare industry, there are a couple of challenges to keep in mind:

  • Transitioning from Current Systems. One of the main obstacles to implementing blockchain technology to manage patient data is the fact that data is already being managed by current systems. Blockchain technology would require a complete change, 从中心化, highly-entity-controlled systems to distributed, 开放, 和, 潜在的全球系统.
  • Lack of Buy-in from Doctors 和 Nurses. Transitioning to any new system (regardless of whether blockchain is involved) requires buy-in from the stakeholders. 然而, a doctor’s first response to a new product is often very cautious. 有充分的理由, providers are hesitant to make any changes that could have a negative impact on the efficiency or effectiveness of patient care. Educating stakeholders on the benefits of the new system 和 the blockchain capabilities (beyond the obvious security enhancements) will be key to getting their buy-in when the time comes.

Blockchain is fast becoming a familiar word in business vernacular. It will be interesting to watch as companies collaborate to develop blockchain-based systems 和 jockey to position them within the healthcare industry as potential solutions. Savvy leaders will keep a close eye on this technology 和 its impact on the IT world, 和 they should seek to stay on “top” of the chain.

As the leader in healthcare IT security, LBMC is attuned to the security 和 compliance issues of entities throughout the healthcare ecosystem. If you want to know more about blockchain technology, 和 the potential benefits it could provide your organization, 与明升体育app下载团队建立联系 今天.