In a world where hundreds of millions of tweets, posts, snaps, and stories are posted on social media daily, sharing information about our lives may seem like second nature. But for those in the healthcare industry, sharing the wrong thing could result in a HIPAA violation. Here are a few examples of how a seemingly innocent social media post can go wrong [...]
The HHS wasted no time in 2023, marking the new year with a fine announcement. On January 2, 2023, the HHS issued a press release announcing a $16,500 fine under the HIPAA right of access initiative. Life Hope Labs Slapped with HIPAA Fine In August 2021, the HHS received a complaint that Life Hope Labs failed to meet a medical records request. [...]
At first glance, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights HIPAA enforcement for the year 2022 appears to be lax. In 2022, OCR entered into 20 resolution agreements with HIPAA-covered entities, and imposed civil monetary penalties on two more. 22 cases total. The breakdown: four HIPAA Privacy Rule impermissible disclosure cases. 17 right-of-access cases (15 settlements, 2 cases [...]
Springfield, Massachusetts, is home to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame - a mere 90-minute ride to Boston. Springfield is also, less famously, the headquarters of New England Dermatology, P.C., d/b/a New England Dermatology and Laser Center (“NEDLC”). This HIPAA covered entity provides treatment for skin, hair, and nail diseases, including acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rashes. In late August of 2022, [...]
On Friday afternoon, July 15, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights announced 11 enforcement actions against healthcare providers across the country for alleged violations of the HIPAA Privacy Rule right of access provisions. Buried within the various resolutions and corrective action plans were notices of proposed determination and final determination for ACPM Podiatry Group Ltd. and [...]
Demonstrating their continued focus on right of access violations, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced 11 settlements and one HIPAA fine for medical practices across a wide variety of specialties. An examination of the specifics of each incident cites several reasons by the covered entities for not providing the requested records, including: Complete failure to [...]
A 2016 hacking incident that hit Oklahoma State University's Center for Health Sciences has led to an $875,000 HIPAA breach fine settlement to address potential violations. Background of Oklahoma State University HIPAA Breach Hackers first gained access to a web server containing the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of as many as 279,865 individuals on March 9, 2016. The information accessed included [...]
It’s a HIPAA violation that occurs every day but seldom makes the headlines. It has the potential to destroy an organization’s reputation, but it comes from within. Medical record snooping by employees may seem like a victimless offense, but the costs and consequences of EHR snooping are real. What the Law Says About EHR Snooping HIPAA regulations are unambiguous when it comes [...]
Facebook describes its Meta Pixel feature as a snippet of JavaScript code that users can put on their website. Once Pixel is installed, it tracks what forms website visitors click on, and what options users select from dropdown menus. Recently, The Markup/STAT released a report summarizing a test it ran on the 100 top hospitals in the United States. The study found [...]
Can HIPAA violations result in jail time? While jail time for HIPAA violations is rare, it does occur. An Iowa man who pleaded guilty to a pair of counts related to HIPAA violations will spend the next 27 months in federal prison following his sentencing in Des Moines. Dustin James Ortiz, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to wrongfully obtain and disclose individually [...]
