Adhering to compliance policies such as HIPAA is essential for a new age medical company or healthcare provider. According to Tom Walsh, it is not wise for medical companies to procrastinate about thoroughly documenting their HIPAA compliance practices, as the restart of the federal audits is about to commence very soon. Following an established documentation…
The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights (OCR) modified the HIPAA Act with the HIPAA Omnibus Rule coming into effect from the first quarter of 2013. The HIPAA Omnibus rule demanding high standards for breach notification regulations, enterprises worked to strengthen the privacy and security protection mandated by HIPAA. Other…
With HIPAA Omnibus rule compliance deadline around the corner, it’s time to accelerate compliance measures and ensure that there is no scope for any breach. Reviewing contracts with business associates and subcontractors is an important and top priority task. While enforcement of the HIPAA Omnibus Rule began almost a year ago, there’s one more important…
Phase 2 of the much talked about HIPAA audits will soon begin, and the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is all set to review the compliance of covered entities and their business associates with all privacy, security, and breach notification standards set by the Health Information Technology for…
OCR has been repeatedly emphasizing the need to secure health records in order to prevent data breaches. But quite alarmingly, a large number of healthcare providers are yet to implement data security policies and procedures. Health data breaches have been growing at a disturbing rate, and several recent reports and government statements indicate that it…
In spite of the continued emphasis on the need for protecting Patient Health Information (PHI), there are still few healthcare enterprises who take things for granted! The latest Parkview Health System Inc., HIPAA settlement for a corrective action at $800,000 demonstrates the need for PHI to be protected in all forms, even paper records. The…
Did you always think compliance with HIPAA was cumbersome and expensive? Think again! Its non-compliance that can cause you twice the trouble! The Office for Civil Rights has been doling out fines to ensure that all healthcare entities take notice of HIPAA compliance – and consequently there have been nine settlements since June 1, 2013,…
With the OCR ramping up enforcement activities, and issuing a number of HIPAA compliance settlements, it has become imperative for healthcare entities to act swiftly, and meet all the requirements to successfully survive any OCR breach investigations and upcoming audits. The OCR is clearly sending a message that they are taking seriously their responsibility to…
Neglecting and not complying with HIPAA rules are certain to attract enormous penalties. Proof of this is the latest hefty HIPAA penalty from the Federal Regulators. This large settlement totaling $4.8 million with New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University, involved the breach of unsecured patient data on a network that affected about 6,800 patients, and…
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights actively preparing for the next round of HIPAA compliance audits are encountering mixed reviews. The OCR is planning a limited number of “desk audits” that include 350 covered entities and 50 business associates, with complete on-site audits being conducted only “as resources allow,” according…
