Posts Tagged ‘HIPAA’
HIPAA Compliance in 2017: The Heat is on
The doctor-patient relationship has always involved a certain level of privacy. But over the years, the stakes for healthcare providers who violate patient privacy have increased exponentially. Barely two months into 2017 and already we are seeing increased activity. A newly released report from Protenus in conjunction with databreaches.net, January saw 31 healthcare data breaches…
Read MoreNew Rule Makes it Easier to Share Substance Abuse Information While Protecting Privacy
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently finalized changes to federal regulations relating to the confidentiality of substance-use disorder patient records. Published in the Federal Register on January 18, the rule makes it easier to share the medical history of patients undergoing substance abuse treatment in federally funded drug and alcohol treatment programs,…
Read MoreEHR disruptions: Do you have a Plan B?
We’ve all lived through them – power outages, computer malfunctions, etc. And, for the most part, they are minor inconveniences. But for healthcare institutions, disruptions such as these can mean the inability to access patient health records and that can literally mean the difference between life and death. Add in the recent incidences of cyberattacks…
Read MoreHIPAA Compliance Crackdown Requires Increased Vigilance
Last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced two big settlements involving alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Those cases brought to six the number of HIPAA-related cases settled since the start of 2016. It also underscores the need for healthcare providers…
Read MoreOCR launches Phase 2 HIPAA Audits
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights has launched Phase 2 of its long-awaited HIPAA Audit Program. OCR has already begun sending out address verification letters, which will be followed by a questionnaire. The new round of privacy and security audits will focus on the business associates of healthcare providers,…
Read MoreWith the new year comes greater HIPAA oversight
HIPAA-regulated entities can expect 2016 to be the year of increased oversight. That’s when the Health and Human Services Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) begins Phase II of its audit program. The program is expected to focus on common areas of noncompliance and will include HIPAA-covered entities as well as business associates. Phase 2…
Read MoreICD-10 implementation clock ticking
With the deadline for implementation of ICD-10 just five months away, a lot is being written about whether medical practices are prepared. As late as April 30, Rep. Ted Poe of Texas introduced a bill that would prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from replacing ICD-9 with ICD-10 in implementing the HIPAA code…
Read MoreUpdating HIPAA compliance in an age of data breaches
Recent data breaches at some of the country’s major healthcare organizations have prompted the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) to update its 2011 version of its Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information. The new guide, says the ONC, is specifically geared toward those providers who are “eligible professionals 
Read MoreNow is the time to protect against cyberthieves
For the second time in as many months, a major healthcare insurer has become the target of cyberthieves. This week, Premera Blue Cross announced it had been the target of hackers who gained access to the financial and medical information of 11 million members. In February, Anthem, Inc., announced that personal information of around 80…
Read MoreHow to comply with HIPAA during Ebola crisis
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights has put out a bulletin to ensure that HIPAA-covered entities and their business associates are aware of the ways in which patient information can be shared in an emergency situation. The bulletin comes in response to the Ebola outbreak and is designed to…
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