On January 19, 2021, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Notice of Enforcement Discretion (Notice) announcing that it will not impose penalties for...more
1/26/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Encryption ,
Enforcement ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
OCR ,
PHI ,
Privacy Settings ,
Public Health Emergency ,
Vaccinations
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently published its findings from audits conducted in 2016 and 2017 of covered entities’ and business associates’ compliance with...more
1/15/2021
/ Audits ,
Covered Entities ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HIPAA Breach Notification Rule ,
HIPAA Privacy Rule ,
Notice of Privacy Practices ,
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) ,
OCR ,
Right of Access ,
Risk Management ,
Security Risk Assessments
In 2020, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) kept the promise it made the prior year to “vigorously enforce” the rights of patients to access and exercise control over their medical records. OCR has settled ten “right of...more
12/11/2020
/ Billing ,
Corrective Action Plans (CAPs) ,
Fees ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medical Records ,
OCR ,
PHI ,
Proposed Rules ,
Right of Access ,
Settlement
As industry continues to adapt to the evolving realities of shelter-in-place orders, companies face challenges in supporting an unprecedented remote workforce while balancing compliance with a variety of regulatory agencies....more
4/9/2020
/ Business Interruption ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
OCR ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Remote Working ,
Small Business ,
State of Emergency
On June 26, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued two new FAQs that clarify:
The parameters around covered entities sharing protected health information (PHI) for a...more
On May 24, 2019, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a new fact sheet which lists the provisions of the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Breach Notification, and Enforcement Rules (HIPAA)...more
5/31/2019
/ Business Associates ,
Data Protection ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Medical Records ,
Enforcement ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Liability ,
OCR ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
PHI
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recently released Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices: Managing Threats and Protecting Patients (HICP). DHHS states that the purpose of the HICP is to:
1. Raise...more
On December 12, 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), requested public comments on potential changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s...more
12/19/2018
/ Comment Period ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HIPAA Privacy Rule ,
OCR ,
PHI ,
Public Comment ,
Request For Information
With the news of the newest international ransomware campaign that is currently affecting some organizations within the Health Care sector, it is important to not only educate staff on necessary precautions, but also be aware...more