The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights and the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force have published important materials addressing cybersecurity in the health care industry. This blog entry provides highlights on these materials.… Continue Reading
On May 10, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced a 2.4 million dollar civil monetary penalty against Memorial Hermann Health System for alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Privacy Rule. … Continue Reading
On April 24, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced that it had entered into a resolution agreement with CardioNet, Inc., stemming from gaps in policies and procedures uncovered after CardioNet reported breaches of unsecured electronic protected health information.… Continue Reading
On April 12, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with Metro Community Provider Network that stemmed from MCPN’s lack of a risk analysis and risk management plan that addressed risks and vulnerabilities to protected health information. … Continue Reading
On February 16, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with Memorial Healthcare System that emphasized the importance of audit controls in preventing breaches of protected health information. The 5.5 million dollar settlement with Memorial is the fourth enforcement action taken by OCR in 2017, and matches the largest civil monetary ever imposed against a single covered entity.… Continue Reading
On February 1, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced a 3.2 million dollar civil monetary penalty against Children’s Medical Center of Dallas for alleged ongoing violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, following two consecutive breaches of patient ePHI.… Continue Reading
On January 18, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with MAPFRE Life Insurance Company of Puerto Rico relating to a breach of protected health information contained on a portable storage device. This is the second enforcement action taken by OCR in 2017, following the action taken against Presence Health earlier this month for failing to make timely breach notifications.… Continue Reading
On January 7, 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with Presence Health stemming from the entity’s failure to notify affected individuals, the media and OCR within 60 days of discovering a breach. This marks the first OCR settlement of 2017 and the first enforcement action relating to untimely breach reporting by a HIPAA covered entity.… Continue Reading
On November 22, 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a $650,000 settlement with University of Massachusetts Amherst, resulting from alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 Privacy and Security Rules. … Continue Reading
Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights issued guidance for HIPAA-covered entities that use cloud computing services involving electronic protected health information. … Continue Reading
On August 4, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with Advocate Health Care Network over alleged HIPAA violations. The multimillion dollar settlement with Advocate is the largest settlement to date against a single covered entity.… Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights recently entered into resolution agreements with two large public health centers over alleged HIPAA violations.… Continue Reading
On June 30, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced that it had settled potential HIPAA Security Rule violations with Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. This is the first enforcement action OCR has taken against a business associate since the HIPAA Omnibus Rule was enacted in 2013.… Continue Reading
Recently, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals announced that it will enter into several settlements and plead guilty to two misdemeanors in connection with alleged violations of HIPAA, drug marketing regulations and securities laws. The criminal charges stem from the company’s marketing of a cholesterol drug called Juxtapid. Aegerion allegedly failed to comply with risk evaluation and management strategies and … Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights recently announced resolution agreements with Raleigh Orthopaedic Clinic, P.A., and New York-Presbyterian Hospital for HIPAA Privacy Rule violations.… Continue Reading
The Federal Trade Commission recently released an interactive tool for mobile health apps. The tool was developed in conjunction with several other federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, and the Food and Drug Administration.… Continue Reading
On March 21, 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced that it has commenced Phase 2 of the HIPAA Audit Program. … Continue Reading
In March 2016, the Department of Health and Human Services announced resolution agreements with North Memorial Health Care of Minnesota and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research over potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy Rule.… Continue Reading
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights published guidance on the use of mobile health apps as well as a crosswalk that maps the National Institute of Standards and Technology Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity Framework to the HIPAA Security Rule.… Continue Reading
On February 3, 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights announced that an Administrative Law Judge ruled that Lincare, Inc. violated the HIPAA Privacy Rule and ordered the company to pay 239,800 dollars to OCR.… Continue Reading
On January 5, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission announced that dental office management software provider, Henry Schein Practice Solutions, Inc., agreed to settle FTC charges that accused the company of falsely advertising the level of encryption it used to protect patient data.… Continue Reading
On December 14, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights announced that it had settled potential HIPAA Security Rule violations with the University of Washington on behalf of the university’s medical center, medical school and affiliated labs and clinics. … Continue Reading
On November 30, 2015, Triple-S Management Corporation, an insurance holding company based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, agreed on behalf of certain of its subsidiaries to a 3.5 million dollar settlement to resolve potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.… Continue Reading
On July 10, 2015, the House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Cures Act, which is intended to ease restrictions on the use and disclosure of protected health information for research purposes.… Continue Reading
