Office for Civil Rights

COVID-19: OCR Reminds Providers of Media Access Restrictions to PHI

by Jessica Davis

The Office for Civil Rights issued a reminder to healthcare providers that even amid the COVID-19 crisis, the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not permit them to give site access to media and other film...

OCR Lifts HIPAA Penalties for COVID-19 Community-Based Testing Sites

by Jessica Davis

The Office for Civil Rights announced yet another enforcement discretion during the Coronavirus pandemic, lifting potential HIPAA penalties related to noncompliance for covered entities and business...

OCR Permits Business Associates to Share Patient Data During COVID-19

by Jessica Davis

The Office for Civil Rights will waive penalties for HIPAA noncompliance against providers or business associates over the good faith use and disclosure of protected health information during the...

OCR Shares COVID-19 PHI, Data Sharing Guidance for First Responders

by Jessica Davis

The Office for Civil Rights released guidance for how protected health information on patients exposed or infected with COVID-19 can be shared with first responders, such as law enforcement,...

OCR Clarifies HIPAA Liability on Telehealth Use During COVID-19

by Jessica Davis

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights released a list of frequently asked questions to common concerns raised about its recent move to lift certain HIPAA penalties...

OCR Shares COVID-19 Cyber Scam Advice, as Hackers Impersonate WHO

by Jessica Davis

The Office for Civil Rights issued an alert for healthcare providers urging them to review recent COVID-19 cyber scam guidance from the Department of Homeland Security, as hackers continue to target...

OCR Lifts HIPAA Penalties for Telehealth Use During COVID-19

by Jessica Davis

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced it will not impose penalties for noncompliance with HIPAA regulations against providers leveraging telehealth...

OCR Settles with Utah Provider for $100K Over HIPAA Security Failures

by Jessica Davis

The provider office of Steven Porter, MD in Ogden, Utah has settled with the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights after failing to implement certain HIPAA security...