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HIPAA Compliant News Articles and Enforcement

Cybersecurity Compliance Deadlines Loom

Aug 6, 2017

Earlier this year, the New York State Department of Financial Services laid out new cybersecurity requirements for financial services companies. These rules (codified in 23 NYCRR 500) took effect on March 1 and established an array of “regulatory minimum standards” that companies must now meet. When all is said and done, financial services companies will…

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Northwest Rheumatology Discovers PHI Potentially Accessed During Ransomware Attack

Aug 4, 2017

Northwest Rheumatology of Tuscon, Arizona has announced that some of its computer systems were taken out of action following a ransomware infection on April 10, 2017. Following any ransomware attack, HIPAA-covered entities must conduct an investigation to determine the extent of the attack and whether patient’s protected health information has been compromised. If a covered…

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11,843 Patient Records Exposed in New Ransonware Attacks

Jul 22, 2017

In the past two weeks, two further healthcare organizations have announced that they have experienced ransomware attacks that potentially resulted in the protected health information of patients being accessed by cybercriminals. A combined 11,843 patient records were exposed in the two attacks. The first incident affects PVHS-ICM Employee Health and Wellness, LLC. Ransomware was installed…

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Woman Indicted for Running Health Care Fraud Scheme from Prison

Jul 18, 2017

DALLAS — Alexis C. Norman, 46, of Midlothian, Texas has been indicted on felony offenses stemming from a health care fraud conspiracy she ran from prison that involved the submission of more than $810,000 in false claims to Medicaid, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. Norman is scheduled to make…

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Owner of Apple of Your Eye Healthcare Services, Inc. Sentenced to 210 Months in Prison for Role in Fraud Conspiracy

Jul 16, 2017

DALLAS — Wilbert James Veasey, Jr., 65, of Dallas, was sentenced this morning in federal court in Dallas on a health care fraud conspiracy conviction, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. Veasey was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay to 210 months in federal prison and order to…

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Careless handling of HIV information jeopardizes patient’s privacy, costs hospital $387k

Jul 16, 2017

St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center Inc. (St. Luke’s) has paid the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) $387,200 to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule and agreed to implement a comprehensive corrective action plan. St. Luke’s operates the Institute for Advanced Medicine, formerly Spencer…

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$2.5 million settlement shows that not understanding HIPAA requirements creates risk

Jul 16, 2017

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) settlement based on the impermissible disclosure of unsecured electronic protected health information (ePHI). CardioNet has agreed to settle potential noncompliance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules by paying $2.5…

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Texas Health System Settles Potential HIPAA Disclosure Violations

May 13, 2017

Memorial Hermann Health System (MHHS) has agreed to pay $2.4 million to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and adopt a comprehensive corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. MHHS is a not-for-profit health system located in Southeast Texas, comprised of…

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No Matter How Much You Spend On Technology, You’re Only As Secure As You’re Most Gullible Employee

May 13, 2017

Companies and organizations around the world potentially faced substantial costs after hackers threatened to keep computers disabled unless victims paid $300 or more in ransom, the latest and most brazen in a type of cyberattack known as “ransomware.” The malware hit Britain’s beloved but creaky National Health Service particularly hard, causing widespread disruptions and interrupting…

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