Knowledge Hub > HITRUST r2
HITRUST r2 Certification
Definition, Taxes & Typical Amounts
Reviewed by Zikea McCurdie
MSHS, NBC-HWC, CYT, Director of Wellness
What Is HITRUST r2 Certification?
HITRUST r2 (Risk-based, 2-Year) is the highest tier of the HITRUST certification framework. It’s a security and privacy standard that checks how well an organization protects sensitive data, including health information. Many people consider it the “gold standard” for healthcare-related security certifications.
What Does HITRUST Stand For?
HITRUST stands for the Health Information Trust Alliance. This organization created the HITRUST CSF (Common Security Framework), which is used to evaluate and certify how organizations handle sensitive data. It’s the most widely adopted security and privacy framework in healthcare. More than 84% of hospitals and health plans require it, according to industry data.
What's the Difference Between HITRUST e1, i1, and r2?
HITRUST offers three certification tiers. Each one gives a different depth of assurance:
- e1 is the lightest tier. It confirms that a foundational set of about 44 security controls are in place.
- i1 is a moderate tier. It evaluates roughly 182 controls for actual implementation and is valid for 1 year.
- r2 is the most rigorous tier. It evaluates the broadest scope of controls, tailored to the organization’s own risk profile (things like data volume and regulatory exposure). It’s valid for 2 years, with an interim assessment required after year one.
Each tier builds on the same underlying framework. Many organizations start with e1 or i1 and work their way up to r2 as their security program matures.
Why Does HITRUST r2 Matter for a Platform Handling Health Data?
r2 gives the highest level of assurance for organizations managing complex, sensitive data environments. That includes any platform handling employee health assessments, biometric results, or other personal health information. It’s not a one-time checklist. It requires ongoing evidence that controls are implemented, measured, and actively managed over time.
If you’re evaluating a vendor, it’s reasonable to ask to see the certification directly instead of just taking the claim at face value. HITRUST reports can generally be shared with a legitimate business interest, like a prospective customer doing due diligence. Vendors may ask you to sign an NDA before releasing the full report.
Is HITRUST the Same as HIPAA?
No, and this is a common mix-up. They’re not the same kind of thing. HIPAA is a federal law. It sets legal requirements for protecting health information, but it doesn’t certify anyone or hand out a badge you can point to. HITRUST is a voluntary certification framework that organizations pursue to prove, with independent third-party validation, that their controls actually align with HIPAA and other regulations. Put simply: HIPAA is what you’re legally required to do. HITRUST is proof, checked by someone outside your own organization, that you’re actually doing it.
How Does HITRUST Compare to SOC 2?
Both are third-party security certifications, but they differ in rigidity and depth. SOC 2 is more flexible. It lets an organization largely define which controls matter for its own environment, evaluated against five broad “trust services criteria.” HITRUST, especially at the r2 level, is far more prescriptive. It maps to a detailed, standardized control set and adds requirements from HIPAA, NIST, and other frameworks. Many organizations pursue both, or start with SOC 2 and add HITRUST as their data sensitivity and regulatory exposure grow. They’re complementary, not substitutes for each other.
Is HITRUST r2 the Same as NCQA Accreditation?
No, they assess different things. HITRUST r2 evaluates the security and privacy controls protecting the data itself: how it’s stored, who can access it, and how breaches are prevented and detected. NCQA accreditation evaluates the quality and evidence base of the wellness program’s actual content and methodology. A platform can be excellent on one and weak on the other, so it’s worth checking both to get a full picture of a vendor’s overall rigor.
How Does Wellness360 Approach HITRUST r2?
Wellness360’s platform holds HITRUST r2 certification alongside SOC 2 Type II. That reflects an ongoing, externally validated commitment to data security, not a one-time claim. For the fuller picture of our compliance and certification standards, see our compliance page. Or read how this plays out in practice in our guide to Biometric Screening Done Right.
Security certifications are one part of choosing a platform. See how Wellness360 compares to WellRight, or explore the full platform from the homepage.
Written by Aryaman Rakhit
Wellness360 Content Team
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