HIPAA and Compliance News

HIPAA Technical Safeguards: A Basic Review

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While no healthcare organization can eliminate the possibility of facing a data breach, implementing HIPAA technical safeguards can go a long way toward mitigating cyber risk. Under the HIPAA Security...

Deadline to Report PHI Breaches Impacting Less Than 500 People Nears

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Under the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, covered entities must report all protected health information (PHI) breaches to HHS. If the breach impacted more than 500 individuals, covered entities must...

Legislators Introduce Bill to Modernize HIPAA, Health Data Privacy Laws

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US Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced the Health Data Use and Privacy Commission Act intending to modernize health data privacy laws to reflect the current tech landscape....

GAO Seeks Feedback on Healthcare Data Breach Reporting

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UPDATE 2/7/22 - GAO extended the survey deadline to February 11. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is asking HIPAA-covered entities for feedback on the healthcare data breach reporting...

OCR Issues HIPAA Guidance Surrounding Extreme Risk Protection Orders

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HHS’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new guidance to clarify how HIPAA permits covered healthcare providers to disclose protected health information (PHI) without a patient’s...

OCR Settles 5 HIPAA Right of Access Cases

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The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the resolution of five cases under the HIPAA Right of Access Initiative. OCR created the initiative in 2019 in order to support patients' right to timely...

2 NJ Printing Companies Fined for HIPAA Violations, PHI Exposure

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Two New Jersey-based printing companies agreed to pay a fine of $130,000 for potentially committing HIPAA violations and New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (CFA) violations through protected health...

With A New Leader, OCR to Focus on Risk Analysis, HIPAA Enforcement

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HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently announced the appointment of a new director, Lisa J. Pino, who will take over the office’s oversight of civil rights enforcement, HIPAA...

OCR Clarifies HIPAA Rules Surrounding Vaccination Status

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The COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout have brought HIPAA into the spotlight, but many Americans continue to misunderstand how HIPAA relates and does not relate to vaccination status. As a result,...

CA Extends Telehealth HIPAA Penalty Exemption Until End of PHE

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California Governor Gavin Newsom renewed most of Executive Order N-43-20, which provides certain HIPAA penalty exemptions surrounding the release of patient information for providers who deliver...

HHS Announces Former DHS Official Lisa J. Pino as New OCR Director

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HHS has appointed Lisa J. Pino as director of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). OCR oversees civil rights enforcements, HIPAA regulations, security, privacy, and breach notification rules. Most...

Key Differences Between PHI and PII, How They Impact HIPAA Compliance

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Personally identifiable information (PII) and protected health information (PHI) may seem similar on the surface, but key distinctions set them apart. While PII is a catch-all term for any information...

OCR Settles 20th HIPAA Right of Access Case With Nebraska Hospital

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The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) settled its twentieth case under the HIPAA Right of Access Initiative, marked by an $80,000 civil monetary penalty paid by Nebraska-based Children’s Hospital...

AL Providers Illegally Accessed COVID-19 Immunization Registry

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Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall released a statement warning healthcare providers to stop using the state’s COVID-19 immunization registry unlawfully to verify vaccination status for...

Common Misconceptions About HIPAA and COVID-19 Vaccination Status

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The HIPAA Privacy Rule does not protect one’s COVID-19 vaccination status, despite popular misconceptions. As HIPAA turns 25 this year, common misinterpretations of the law persist, a blog post...

15 Years Later, Walgreens’ HIPAA Violation Case Raises Questions

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Following a 2006 HIPAA violation investigation by Indianapolis news station WTHR, CVS and Rite Aid reached settlements with HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and paid a combined $3.25 million in...

How Do New Patient Right of Access Policies Impact HIPAA?

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It’s been 25 years since HIPAA was signed into law, but new patient right of access policies have experts questioning the future of HIPAA and third-party data sharing, according to a recent op-ed...

How Health Facilities Can Prevent, Mitigate Ransomware in 2021

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The healthcare industry continues to battle a surge in ransomware and cyber-attacks, which have increased in recent years and spiked since the start of the COVID-19...

Wisconsin Governor Signs Insurance Cybersecurity Act into Law

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed a new cybersecurity regulation into law, creating additional measures for insurance companies to protect the personally identifiable...

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