HHS Settles Photocopier Breach Case with Managed Care Plan
Affinity Health Plan, Inc. (Affinity), a not-for-profit managed care plan serving the New York metropolitan area, recently settled a breach…
Hospice Organization Settles HIPAA Breach Involving Less Than 500 Patients
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the Hospice of North Idaho (HONI) agreed to pay $50,000…
HHS Releases HIPAA Privacy, Security, Enforcement, and Breach Notification Rules
The Department of Health and Humans Services (HHS) recently released the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) final rule.
OCR Explains Methods for De-Identifying PHI
The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance to providers on methods to de-identify…
Enforcement of HIPAA Updates in 2012
HIPAA violations and enforcement are not exactly what one expects to see when they open up a celebrity gossip magazine…
Your Organization Could Be Next: How to Prepare for an OCR Audit
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the agency tasked with oversight of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of…
OMB Delays Final Rule for HIPAA Privacy and Security Regulations
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) postponed publication of the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) Final Rule. OMB…
OCR’s Audit Protocol for the HIPAA Audit Program
The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently released the audit protocol that is used…
Healthcare Data Breaches: Blue Cross Blue Shield enters into Settlement with HHS for HIPAA Violations in the Workplace.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently enforced the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical health (HITECH)…
CMS Clarifies HIPAA Compliance Requirements on Patient Privacy and Medical Record Confidentiality
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently issued guidance to State Survey Agency Directors (state surveyors) clarifying the…
Meeting the Privacy Officer Challenge: Outsourcing Might Be the Answer
Imagine discovering an employee’s laptop has been stolen that contained thousands of patient records with protected health information (PHI). Add…
HITECH Act Update: An Overview of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs Regulations
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) was enacted as part of the American Recovery…