$5.5 million HIPAA settlement shines light on the importance of audit controls

Memorial Healthcare System (MHS) has paid the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $5.5 million to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules and agreed to implement a robust corrective action plan. MHS is a nonprofit corporation which operates six hospitals, an…

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Why OCR is turning up the heat on business associates

The HIPAA spotlight is beginning to shine brightly on business associates. Covered entities have long had their time to star, so it is only fair to share the stage now. It is likely that covered entities are only too happy to have the Office for Civil Rights and others focus attention on business associates, with…

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OCR Phase 2 HIPAA Audits: Documentation Requests Issued

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has now selected covered entities from its pool of eligible organizations and has chosen 167 for a HIPAA compliance audit. Covered entities selected for a compliance audit have now been notified by email. Those organizations now have just 10 days to respond to…

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OCR Confirms HIPAA Compliance Audit Surveys Sent

There has been much speculation over the past week since the sending of the letters was first reported, about whether the OCR pre-screening surveys have actually been dispatched. Now the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights has confirmed – to Fierce Health IT – that its preliminary HIPAA surveys have now…

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OCR Indicates Major Hike in HIPAA Audits

They were last seen in 2012, but the second round of HIPAA compliance audits have yet to commence, but they are apparently coming back this year with plans in place for them to be bigger and bolder than ever before. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) indicated to Washington…

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SECOND ROUND HIPAA COMPLIANCE AUDITS DELAYED AGAIN

The Office for Civil Rights is due to commence the second round of HIPAA compliance audits this year, although news has emerged that the audits are to be delayed once more to give the department time to finalized the audit protocol. The second round audits were originally scheduled to take place in the fall of…

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OCR Discusses Upcoming HIPAA Audits

As Business Associate Agreements Amendment Deadline Approaches, OCR Discusses Upcoming HIPAA Audits | HL Chronicle of Data Protection As Business Associate Agreements Amendment Deadline Approaches, OCR Discusses Upcoming HIPAA Audits The 2009 HITECH Act mandated that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) conduct periodic audits of covered entities…

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