Fraud and Abuse
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),…
Read More2020 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…
Read MoreStudy: 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…
Read MoreElectronic Health Records Vendor to Pay $145 Million to Resolve Criminal and Civil Investigations
Practice Fusion Inc. Admits to Kickback Scheme Aimed at Increasing Opioid Prescriptions Practice Fusion Inc. (Practice Fusion), a San Francisco-based health information technology developer, will pay $145 million to resolve criminal and civil investigations relating to its electronic health records (EHR) software, the Department of Justice announced today. As part of the criminal resolution, Practice…
Read MoreTexas Doctor Found Guilty for Role in $325 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme Involving False Diagnoses of Life-Long Diseases
A federal jury found a Texas rheumatologist guilty today for his role in a $325 million health care fraud scheme in which he falsely diagnosed patients with life-long diseases and treated them with toxic medications on the basis of that false diagnosis. Following a 25-day trial, Jorge Zamora-Quezada, M.D., 63, of Mission, Texas, was convicted…
Read MoreOver 300,000 Patients Affected by Data Breaches in December 2019
The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) reported 34 December healthcare breaches, affecting 313,249 patients. Of the reported incidents, there were 18 breaches due to hacking/IT incidents, 10 breaches from the unauthorized access/disclosure of protected health information (PHI), 3 breaches due to loss, 2 breaches due to theft, and…
Read MoreFBI Issues Alert for Increase in Maze Ransomware
Last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a flash alert warning private companies in the United States about the threat of attacks involving Maze ransomware. The warning came just a few days after the FBI issued an alert about two other ransomware variants, LockerGoga and MegaCortex. The Maze ransomware TLP: Green warning is…
Read MoreOCR Secures $2.175 Million HIPAA Settlement after Hospitals Failed to Properly Notify HHS of a Breach of Unsecured Protected Health Information
In an agreement with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Sentara Hospitals (Sentara) have agreed to take corrective actions and pay $2.175 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Breach Notification and Privacy Rules. Sentara is comprised of…
Read MoreOCR Imposes a $1.6 Million Civil Money Penalty against Texas Health and Human Services Commission for HIPAA Violations
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has imposed a $1,600,000 civil money penalty against the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (TX HHSC), for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules between 2013 and 2017. TX…
Read MoreEight Dallas-Area Pharmacy Owners and Marketers Charged in $9 Million Kickback Scheme
Eight Dallas, Texas-area pharmacy owners and marketers were charged in an indictment unsealed today for their roles in a scheme involving approximately $92 million in compound drug claims to TRICARE and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), which were allegedly the product of over $9.1 million in illegal kickbacks. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski…
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