OCR Concludes All-Time Record Year for HIPAA Enforcement with $3 Million Cottage Health Settlement

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services concluded an all-time record year in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enforcement activity.  In 2018, OCR settled 10 cases and was granted summary judgment in a case before an Administrative Law Judge, together totaling $28.7 million from enforcement…

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Failure to Protect Health Records Costs Covered Entity Millions and Leads to Bankruptcy

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21st Century Oncology, Inc. (21CO) has agreed to pay $2.3 million in lieu of potential civil money penalties to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and adopt a comprehensive corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and…

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Children’s Medical Center of Dallas Pays Penalty of 3.2 Million for HIPAA and Compliance Violations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), has announced a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) civil money penalty against Children’s Medical Center of Dallas (Children’s) based on its impermissible disclosure of unsecured electronic protected health information (ePHI) and non-compliance over many years with multiple standards…

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Hospital Employee Indicted for Stealing Personal Information of More than 12,000 Patients

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., today announced the indictment of eight individuals, including a Montefiore Medical Center employee, for stealing and using patients’ personal identifying information to make thousands of dollars in purchases at department stores and retailers in Manhattan. The defendants are charged in New York State Supreme Court with varying counts…

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HIPAA Enforcement to be Ramped Up

HIPAA Enforcement to be Ramped Up Healthcare Technology Trends for 2015 – HIPAA Journal The Office for Civil Rights delayed its proposed round of compliance audits last year, and while a timescale has not been provided for when they will recommence, OCR Director, Jocelyn Samuels, has promised they will be recommencing ‘expeditiously’. The OCR has…

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Dentist Office Fined $12,000 for HIPAA Violations

The Indiana Attorney General’s Office has issued its first fine for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act violations pursuant to section 13410(e) of the HITECH Act. The fine of $12,000 was issued to former Kokomo dentist, Joseph Beck, for illegally disposing of the Protected Health Information of his patients. 63 boxes of personal records containing…

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