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Feb. 11, 2019 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a proposed new rule to require “seamless and secure access, exchange, and use of electronic health information” (EHI). The proposed rule is designed to increase innovation and competition by giving patients and their healthcare providers secure access to health information … Read more
Dec. 12, 2018 — Pagosa Springs Medical Center (PSMC) has agreed to pay $111,400 to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and to adopt a substantial corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. … Read more
Advanced Care Hospitalists PL (ACH) has agreed to pay $500,000 to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and to adopt a substantial corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules. ACH … Read more
Allergy Associates of Hartford, P.C. (Allergy Associates), has agreed to pay $125,000 to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and to adopt a corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. Allergy Associates is a … Read more
Anthem, Inc. has agreed to pay $16 million to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and take substantial corrective action to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules after a series of cyberattacks led to the largest U.S. health … Read more
September 20, 2018– Today, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced that it has reached separate settlements with Boston Medical Center (BMC), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) for compromising the privacy of patients’ protected health information (PHI) by inviting film crews on premises to … Read more
OCR Issues Guidance to Help Ensure Appropriate Sharing of Medical Information During Hurricane Florence September 12, 2018 As Hurricane Florence makes landfall, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and its federal partners remain in close coordination as part of disaster response. As part of his declaration of a Public Health Emergency (PHE), HHS Secretary … Read more
In its last Standards and Compliance letter of 2017, CMS has issued an uncharacteristically clear message to healthcare providers — you are at risk of a HIPAA violation if you send E-PHI by text. Ref: S&C 18-10-ALL lays out the summary as follows: Memorandum Summary Texting patient information among members of the health care team … Read more
It never ceases to amaze me that hospitals and providers will deprive families and loved ones of information while a patient is in a life or death crisis, but will dump the most intimate details about a patient and their PHI to the press or internet on the slightest criticism or lawsuit. CMS is apparently … Read more