The covered entities involved in the two most recent HIPAA settlements could not be more different: A small federally qualified health center (with approximately 43 employees and serving approximately 3,100 patients per year) [...]
Earlier this week, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a COVID-19 Guidance on Disclosure of PHI to the Media (“Guidance”) reminding covered entities that they must have a patient’s written authorization prior [...]
Covered entities are no longer required to limit the fees they charge when sending records to a third party, according to a recent decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of [...]
When it comes to electronic protected health information (ePHI), the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is not in the business of providing covered entities with unlimited chances. OCR recently announced two enforcement actions: [...]
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently reinterpreted the HIPAA penalty structure to reduce the maximum annual penalty amounts: When a covered entity does not know about the violation Reduced annual amount from [...]
For the first time in eight years, covered entities (including health centers) have an opportunity to provide input on modifying HIPAA and should seize this opportunity to include their point of view in [...]
Each year, health centers ask whether they really are required to report small breaches (those affecting fewer than 500 individuals) to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for the Department of Health and [...]
If you have been overwhelmed by the number of HIPAA settlement announcements recently, you are not alone. Over the past sixteen months, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced seventeen HIPAA settlements. [...]
Late last month the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a $400,000 HIPAA settlement for a breach of protected health information (PHI) of more than [...]
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced that its Regional Offices will increase investigations into HIPAA breaches that affect fewer than 500 individuals. [...]