Zelis, a healthcare technology growth company and market-leading provider of integrated healthcare cost management and payment solutions was at a crossroads. Their mission to revolutionize healthcare hinged on leveraging real-world data for insightful analytics and development. However, this ambition collided with the critical need to safeguard PHI and PII data under the watchful eye of HIPAA regulations. Their existing data masking solution proved inflexible and cumbersome, creating a bottleneck for crucial use cases.

The Challenge

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Data Exposure Concerns

Offshore development teams, vital to Zelis's rapid iteration cycle, were cut off from essential data due to security concerns. The static masking approach they previously used hampered flexibility, preventing teams from dynamically accessing specific data elements needed for development.

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Compliance Bottleneck

The static nature of their previous data masking approach hindered data migration to Snowflake and posed a challenge in ensuring that sensitive data remained protected and compliant with regulatory standards. This bottleneck impeded Zelis's compliance journey and raised concerns about data security and regulatory adherence.

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Inefficient Data Governance

Manual policy enforcement made data access governance time-consuming and error-prone. Furthermore, the lack of real-time audit logging made it challenging to track and monitor data access activities effectively, limiting their ability to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements.

The Solution

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Format-PreservingEncryption (FPE)

Leveraging ALTR's format-preserving encryption (FPE), Zelis can seamlessly encrypt and decrypt sensitive data natively within Snowflake. This capability ensured data was protected and in compliance with HIPAA, all while maintaining data usability. By integrating FPE into Snowflake, Zelis streamlined data security operations, reduced complexity, and empowered authorized users and applications to work with the data effectively.

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Shift Left Data Governance

With ALTR's Shift Left data governance capabilities, Zelis can also use native Snowflake APIs to invoke ALTR's FPE capabilities upstream in its data pipeline. Doing so secures PHI and PII before it ever reaches Zelis’ Snowflake environment, and means the data is secure in motion, at rest, and in use. This approach to data protection ensures that sensitive information is safeguarded from the outset, aligning perfectly with HIPAA compliance requirements and bolstering data security efforts.

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Dynamic Policy-Driven Governance

Granular role-based access control policies were implemented so only authorized individuals can access specific data components, preventing unauthorized access while maintaining a secure data handling process throughout. This approach eliminates the potential risk of data overexposure and perfects a robust chain of custody for highly sensitive information.

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Automated Compliance

ALTR’s native integration with Snowflake facilitates seamless audit logging, providing a real-time, comprehensive record of every data access attempt. This invaluable transparency reassures healthcare authorities the PHI data is secure and greatly simplifies HIPAA compliance audits.

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Effortless BI Integration

ALTR's ability to work “out of the box” with Zelis' BI tool, Sigma, means data security extends into the analytical pipeline. This holistic approach eliminates data silos and fosters secure, collaborative workflows.

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The Results

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Guaranteed HIPAA Compliance

ALTR's FPE provided the missing piece, paving the way for confident data migration and utilization on Snowflake without compromising HIPAA regulations.

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Unleashed Use Cases

ALTR's FPE also liberated previously obstructed use cases. Developers could now access a treasure trove of valuable data, fueling Zelis’ innovation engine, propelling its development cycle and accelerating the delivery of life-changing healthcare solutions.

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Streamlined Data Governance

Automated policy enforcement and audit logging transformed data access governance from a cumbersome manual process to a streamlined, effortless operation. This freed up resources and fostered a culture of data security awareness throughout the organization.

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Rapid Return on Investment

ALTR's immediate time-to-value and cost-effective pricing model delivered swift returns, solidifying its position as a strategic investment in Zelis’ future.

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Beyond the Horizon

Zelis' journey is a testament to the transformative power of innovative data security solutions. By embracing ALTR and Snowflake, they defied the limitations of conventional data governance. With secure access to real-world data and streamlined compliance protocols, Zelis is poised to continue its ascent in the healthcare landscape, delivering ground-breaking solutions that enhance patient care and pave the way for a healthier future.

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