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HIPAA Compliant News Articles and Enforcement
MMG Fusion Breach Affecting 15 Million Patients Results in HIPAA Settlement
HHS Office for Civil Rights announced a settlement with MMG Fusion, LLC, a Maryland-based dental software company, following a data breach that affected approximately 15 million individuals — one of the largest breaches in HIPAA enforcement history. MMG Fusion agreed to pay $10,000 and implement a corrective action plan to resolve potential violations of the…
Concentra Inc. Pays $112,500 to Settle HIPAA Right of Access Violations
HHS Office for Civil Rights announced a $112,500 settlement with Concentra, Inc., a national occupational health services company, to resolve potential violations of the HIPAA Right of Access Rule. OCR’s Right of Access Initiative, launched in 2019, continues to hold covered entities accountable for failing to provide patients timely and affordable access to their own…
Solara Medical Supplies Pays $3 Million to Settle HIPAA Security Rule Violations
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a $3 million settlement with Solara Medical Supplies, a California-based supplier of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, resolving potential violations of the HIPAA Security Rule and Breach Notification Rule. The case stemmed from a 2019 phishing attack that compromised…
Children’s Hospital Colorado Pays Over $500,000 for MFA Failures Leading to HIPAA Breach
HHS Office for Civil Rights reached a settlement with Children’s Hospital Colorado following a data breach that exposed the protected health information of thousands of patients. The breach was tied directly to failures in implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) across critical systems, resulting in a penalty exceeding $500,000. OCR’s investigation determined that the hospital had not…
Gulf Coast Pain Consultants Hit with $1.1 Million HIPAA Civil Monetary Penalty
HHS Office for Civil Rights imposed a $1.1 million civil monetary penalty (CMP) against Gulf Coast Pain Consultants, a Florida-based pain management practice, for widespread failures to comply with the HIPAA Security Rule. OCR’s investigation found that Gulf Coast Pain Consultants had not implemented the foundational administrative, physical, and technical safeguards required to protect electronic…
Fort Worth Doctor Sentenced to 10 Years in Health Care Fraud Conspiracy
A Fort Worth osteopath who attempted to incinerate clinic records has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a $10 million healthcare fraud, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah. Mark Kuper, the 43-year-old owner of the Texas Center for Orthopedic and Spinal Disorders (TCOSD),…
Health Care Provider Pays $100,000 Settlement to OCR for Failing to Implement HIPAA Security Rule Requirements
The practice of Steven A. Porter, M.D., has agreed to pay $100,000 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 a potential violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule. Dr. Porter’s medical…
2020 HIPAA Compliance Checklist
Regulatory compliance is a phrase that sends a shiver down the spine of even the most experienced network administrator. Ever since the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA was introduced in 1996, covered entities holding protected health information (PHI) or electronically protected health information (ePHI) have been under pressure to keep it safe. Organizations that fail to…
Study: Texas second for ransomware attacks on health care centers
In the past two years, a troubling number of ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations have affected more than 6.6 million people and cost systems millions of dollars. A study by comparitech found Texas had the second-most number of healthcare ransomware attacks in 2016-2019. During a ransomware attack, hackers break into an electronic database and hold the information…