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HIPAA Compliant News Articles and Enforcement
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…
Read MoreMICROSOFT OFFICE 365 ACHIEVES TOP RATING FOR HIPAA COMPLIANCE
Microsoft Office 365 cloud services for the healthcare industry has recently achieved the highest possible HITRUST CSF rating – achieving a maximum score of five – in a certification review of its security and privacy controls initiated by Centura Health. The Health Information Trust Alliance (HITRUST) Common Security Framework (CSF) is a scalable, prescriptive and…
Read MoreMarch Sees Massive Hike in Healthcare Data Hacking
The number of successful cyber attacks spiked in March, with 11 incidents reported to the Office for Civil Rights, although since HIPAA-covered entities have up to 60 days from the discovery of a data breach until a breach notification must be submitted, that figure may yet rise. In February, there were 4 reported hacking incidents…
Read MoreHIPAA VIOLATION WARNING ISSUED ABOUT MEDICAL RECORD SUBPOENAS
Law firm, Day Pitney LLP, has issued a warning to healthcare professionals to be cautious about disclosing Protected Health Information, even when asked to provide medical records to attorneys under subpoena. A Connecticut Supreme Court ruling in November 2014 permitted a negligence claim to be filed against a healthcare provider for non-compliance with HIPAA Rules…
Read MorePREMERA HIPAA BREACH: INSURER CERTIFIED AS HIPAA COMPLIANT
In the aftermath of a major HIPAA breach, the spotlight is shined on healthcare providers and insurers’ and they investigated to determine whether the breach was preventable, and if it was caused by violations of HIPAA regulations.In the case of Premera, hackers were able to infiltrate the insurer’s computer network and gain free access to…
Read MoreWoman Admits Billing Home Services Program While In Jail
Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on March 12, 2015, Angela Jones, 51, of Madison, IL, pled guilty to a one-count indictment charging that she engaged in a scheme to commit health care fraud. At her sentencing Jones will face up to 10 years of imprisonment,…
Read MoreADVANTAGE DENTAL HIPAA BREACH EXPOSES MORE THAN 150K PATIENT RECORDS
Advantage Dental of Redmond, OR, has announced that hackers have successfully infiltrated its computer systems and have potentially accessed the records of over 151,000 of its patients, according to a report in the Portland Tribune. The Oregon-based company, which primarily provides dental services for low-income patients and operates more than 30 clinics throughout the state,…
Read MoreSECOND 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…
Read MorePOTENTIAL HIPAA VIOLATIONS BY MINNESOTA BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD NURSE AND HOSPITAL
According to a Monday WCCO-TV news report, a nurse employed by Minnesota Blue Cross Blue Shield stands accused of illegally accessing a state database containing the prescription drug records of approximately 1 million state residents. The database – administered by the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy – contains names, addresses and prescription records and was set…
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