HHS Increases Civil Monetary Penalties for HIPAA Violations
Under federal government logic, when the cost of living goes up, the amounts of monetary penalties for violations of certain federal laws must go up too. So, [...]
ePHI Security Emphasized in HHS Summer Newsletter
Although the HHS has long stressed the importance of ePHI security, with the influx of healthcare breaches, it is clear that many organizations have not heeded the [...]
Reading the 5th: What the Recent Fifth Circuit HIPAA Case Means to You
The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights enforces HIPAA compliance by imposing civil monetary penalties (CMPs) on HIPAA covered entities for violations of the [...]
September OCR Fines Reach $10.7 Million
The OCR seems to be on a fines spree, with a record number of fines issued in September. There were eight September OCR fines issued, amounting to $10,736,500. More [...]
$678 Million Healthcare Settlement Reached with Novartis
Novartis, a pharmaceutical company, agreed to a $678 million healthcare settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ). Novartis was accused of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS) and [...]
HHS Amends Substance Abuse Records Confidentiality Rules
Recently, the 42 CFR Part 2 regulations, which serve to protect substance abuse disorder patient records, were revised. Their revised regulation facilitates better coordination of care in response to [...]
The HHS To-Do List: HHS Privacy and Security Regulatory Priorities
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, has not undergone significant regulatory change since 2013. Since then, HHS privacy and security initiatives have been proposed. [...]
Leap Year Law and the HIPAA Breach Notification Deadline
Is there such a thing as a leap year law? Once every four years (e.g., 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012), there is a February 29th. Years with [...]
HIPAA Privacy Complaints Lead to More Informal Intervention Efforts
The numbers seem to paint an odd picture. In 2018, the federal Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) received 25,912 health information privacy [...]
Electronic Health Information Exchange and HIPAA
Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule, the use or disclosure of protected health information (PHI) is permitted for treatment purposes. Electronic health information exchange - a method of data transmission [...]
