The latest HIPAA resolution agreement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is a reminder that healthcare providers must take the high road when responding to unflattering online reviews by patients. While it is tempting to respond to a bad and perhaps untrue online review, healthcare providers need to take care to not … Continue Reading
Category Archives: HIPAA, Privacy, and Data Security
Subscribe to HIPAA, Privacy, and Data Security RSS FeedCaution: Curb Your Enthusiasm for the Reduced HIPAA Annual Limits
Until recently, the annual limit for civil monetary penalties (CMP) that could be levied against covered entities and business associates in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, and their implementing regulations, as amended from time to time (collectively, HIPAA) was $1,500,000. On … Continue Reading
New York State Enforces Data Breach Notification Law
Earlier this month, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced his state had entered into a settlement with CoPilot Provider Support Services, Inc. (CoPilot)—a settlement resulting from CoPilot’s violation of the data breach notification requirements of the New York General Business Law (GBL) that requires companies, among other things, to provide notice of a breach as soon as possible. Under … Continue Reading
Global Ransomware Attack Makes Healthcare Organizations Wanna Cry
As has been widely reported, on May 12, 2017, organizations around the world, including Britain’s National Health Service, found their data held hostage by actors using a new variant of ransomware called WannaCry. According to news reports, 200,000 computers in more than 150 countries have been hit by the cyberattack which appears to be spread by phishing emails. There are … Continue Reading
April Showers Bring More HIPAA Settlements
April proved to be a busy month for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under its newly appointed director, Roger Severino. OCR announced three settlements of potential HIPAA violations totaling nearly $3,000,000.00 in fines. The settling parties include a wireless health services provider, a federally-qualified health center (FQHC), and a pediatric specialty provider. … Continue Reading
Lack of Timely Action and Knowledge of Risk Results in $3.2 Million Civil Monetary Penalty for HIPAA Violations
Children’s Medical Center of Dallas (Children’s) was hit with a $3.2 million civil penalty from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) for failing to take steps to properly protect patient medical information. The civil penalty is the result of two data breaches caused by a lack of encryption and what was described as … Continue Reading
HIPAA Audits – Phase 2: On-Site Audits Scheduled for First Quarter of 2017
Covered Entities and Business Associates may be ringing in the New Year with the prospect of responding to on-site HIPAA audits by federal regulators. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced that a certain number of comprehensive on-site HIPAA compliance reviews will be done over the first quarter of next year. Details … Continue Reading
Recent CyberSecurity Incidents Emphasize Importance of Cyberinsurance
As the threat of cyberattacks continues to pose daily threats to businesses large and small, more companies have turned to cyber insurance products to shore up protection against these disruptive threats. A spate of recent incidents has highlighted the importance of taking steps to prepare for and mitigate possible damages. As such, healthcare entities have begun exploring Cyberinsurance as a … Continue Reading
Best Practices for Safeguarding Protected Health Information in Inclement Weather
As the East Coast prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Matthew, covered entities and business associates should take the opportunity to remind their workforce members to safeguard protected health information (PHI) that is in paper form. Certainly, HIPAA requires covered entities and business associates to protect and secure PHI at all times. However, healthcare providers that deal with volumes of … Continue Reading
Illinois’ Largest Health System Agrees to Stringent HIPAA Breach Settlement
The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on August 4, 2016, a settlement agreement with Advocate Health Care Network, an integrated healthcare system with ten hospitals and a non-profit medical group of more than 1,500 physicians in Illinois (the System or Advocate). The System agreed to adopt a corrective action plan and to pay … Continue Reading
Breach or No Breach – OCR Weighs in on Ransomware
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released its much-anticipated guidance on ransomware (OCR Ransomware Guidance) this week in response to a number of highly publicized attacks targeting the healthcare sector. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts data, making it inaccessible until the data owner pays a ransom. … Continue Reading
Business Associates Beware! OCR Is Coming For You
Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the first HIPAA settlement involving a business associate. Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (CHCS), a nonprofit organization that provides management and information technology services to six wholly-owned skilled nursing facilities, agreed to pay $650,000 and enter into a corrective action … Continue Reading
Lights, Camera, Settlement: OCR says a picture is worth $2.2 million
A New York hospital has settled with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) for $2.2 million after allowing a TV crew for the ABC documentary series “NY Med” to film patients receiving medical treatment without obtaining prior authorization from the patients or their representatives. The estate of one those patients is also suing … Continue Reading
Not a Check-the-Box Exercise: Failure to Have Signed BAA Results in Substantial Fine
A group practice that was the victim of a silver-harvesting scam has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) $750,000 to settle charges that it released protected health information (“PHI”) of its patients to a third party vendor without first obtaining a written business associate agreement. Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic, P.A. (the “Clinic”) provided x-ray films … Continue Reading
Prepare for the Unexpected with Data Storage and Retrieval
Last week, a federal court in Illinois encountered another example of unexpected events causing problematic privacy and data storage implications for a healthcare company. The non-profit organization responsible for maintaining the MetroChicago Health Information Exchange (the HIE) filed suit against its information technology support contractor and the contractor’s owner to prevent the contractor’s plan to destroy all client data after … Continue Reading
Shhh….OCR Releases New HIPAA Audit Protocol
Just in time for the Phase 2 audits, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) quietly posted the updated HIPAA Audit Protocol on its website. The new audit protocol has been updated to include business associates who became subject to HIPAA following the 2013 HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule. The protocol covers Privacy Rule, Security Rule … Continue Reading
Phase 2 of HIPAA Audits Is Underway – Covered Entities and Business Associates Beware
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) recently announced that it has started obtaining and verifying entity contact information to identify covered entities and business associates for potential audit subject pools for the 2016 Phase 2 HIPAA Audit Program. In Phase 2, OCR will review the policies and procedures adopted and employed by covered … Continue Reading
OCR Issues New Guidance on “Reasonable and Cost-Based” Fees Associated with Medical Record Copying and Access
On February 25, 2016, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) released a set of FAQs directed at healthcare providers and plans that are required to comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule (the Privacy Rule). The guidance emphasizes that any fees charged for access to or copies of patient information must be “reasonable and cost-based” and specifically addresses what this means … Continue Reading
HIPAA Privacy Rule Now Permits Reporting for Firearms Background Checks
On January 4, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule that modifies the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. This modification expressly allows certain covered entities to disclose to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), without consent, the identities of individuals who, for mental health reasons, … Continue Reading
The Silent Threats of Breaches to Medical Devices are Starting to Make Noise
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for guidance on medical devices, has acknowledged that certain devices are susceptible to breaches. The FDA has identified cybersecurity vulnerabilities in medical devices that could allow unauthorized users to not only access patient information, but also to control the device. The FDA’s oversight comes at a critical time, as hospitals … Continue Reading
Medical Devices And Risks Of Unauthorized Disclosure Of Protected Health Information
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) kicked off the holiday season by publishing a settlement agreement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) relating to the theft of an unencrypted laptop from a hospital. Lahey Hospital and Medical Center (Lahey), a nonprofit teaching hospital in Massachusetts, agreed to pay … Continue Reading
“My, what beautiful eyes you have . . .” – Biometric Data and Privacy
Biometric data – obviously not in just the movies anymore. It is alive, well, and increasingly being used in our everyday society. But, on September 23, 2015, when the Office of Personnel Management revealed that fingerprint data of nearly six million individuals had been compromised in a cyber-security attack, fear came home to roost. Let’s address the journalistic questions:… Continue Reading
Can We Talk? Florida Court Rejects Latest Challenge to Med Mal Presuit Authorization Law
In the latest challenge to a Florida law designed to promote early settlement of meritorious medical malpractice claims, the Florida First District Court of Appeal recently rejected a plaintiff’s arguments that 2013 amendments to the law violated the Florida Constitution. See Weaver v. Myers, Case No. 1D14-3178 (Fla. 1st DCA July 21, 2015). The court also summarily rejected the … Continue Reading
Recent HHS Settlement Highlights Risks of Electronically-Sharing Protected Health Information
On July 10, 2015, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced its second settlement of the year for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center (SEMC), a tertiary care hospital in Massachusetts, must pay $218,400 and adopt a “robust corrective action plan” to … Continue Reading
