HIPAA Final Rule 101: Compliance Basics
Physicians need to get ready to comply with new rules recently issued under HIPAA. The so-called “Final Rule” makes significant changes to several of the laws governing physicians and the health care field in general. The general deadline to comply with the Final Rule is September 23, 2013. The following summarizes some of the major compliance considerations related to the new rules....Read More
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HIPAA And Mobile Devices
The use and transmission of protected health information (“PHI”) over mobile devices such as cell phones and tablets has increased dramatically over recent years. Common uses include texting patients, e-mailing nurses, or accessing medical records on an iPad. These tools can increase efficiency; however, they can also increase the risk of a security breach. Common security breach...Read More
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Civil Penalties for Violations of HIPAA Increased
The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued a final interim rule on October 30, 2009 amending the civil penalty guidelines for HIPAA violations. These amendments were required by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, commonly known as the HITECH Act. The HITECH Act is a part of the federal “Bailout Bill” passed in early...Read More
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HIPAA Security Rule – The “Other Shoe” of HIPAA
Introduction When the HIPAA Privacy Rule was issued, to much fanfare, by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2002, most health care providers diligently implemented the required privacy policies and procedures prior to the April 14, 2003, compliance deadline. However, some providers have not implemented security polices and procedures as required by the HIPAA Security Rule,...Read More
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HIPAA Mandates, Coverage Set to Expand in Near Future
Introduction As many of you are aware, the American Recovery and Relief Act of 2009, better known as the “Bailout Bill”, did much more than funnel government spending in an effort to boost the economy. Within the Bailout Bill package, Congress enacted a separate act known as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, known as the HITECH Act. HITECH...Read More
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Government Cracks Down on HIPPA Compliance By Covered Entities
In July 2008, for the first time, a covered entity under the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules was forced to make a $100,000 payment to the government and agreed to subject itself to three years of supervision by Health and Human Services (“HHS”) for losing unencrypted laptops and backup data. Government officials announced the payment and corrective action plan (“CAP”) in July. Although they...Read More
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