Steven M. Harris, Esq., is a nationally recognized health care attorney and a member of the law firm McDonald Hopkins LLC. He may be reached at [email protected].
Legal Updates: Healthcare Data Privacy and Security under HIPAA
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Department of Health and Human Services’ Final Rule Expands HIPAA Obligations, Violation Penalties
Physicians’ business associates can now face civil and criminal penalties for violating HIPAA laws guarding the confidentiality of protected health information
Phase 2 of HIPAA Audit Program Launches
With many competing priorities facing physician practices, HIPAA compliance and security is not a topic that usually makes it to the top of the list. But this is not the case with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR), because it has initiated a new phase of audits of physician…
Email & Text in the World of HIPAA
The world we live in necessitates information be communicated in a quick and easy manner. This remains true in the healthcare setting. The ability to text or email staff and patients has become a priority for many healthcare entities. However, maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality is essential to ensure we meet compliance standards. Although emailing…
Preparing for Increased HIPAA Audits Among Smaller Rheumatology Providers
Recent enforcement activities of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) have shown an increase in fines and penalties assessed against smaller providers for failing to comply with the privacy, security and breach notification requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Historically, OCR has focused on larger…