Since HIPAA’s inception there have been several updates over the years. As technology changes, so must some the of HIPAA rules. We have not seen any major changes since 2013 when the Omnibus Rule gave HIPAA teeth and enforcement became...

Since 2015 the number of data breaches in healthcare has steadily been rising. This includes medical offices, health plans, and business associates. These breaches range from unauthorized access, loss, theft, but mostly from hacking. Hacking was determined to be from...

We have advised our clients for years to only transmit protected health information (PHI) if it is encrypted. We have also recommended encryption for the data at rest. With the rise of hacking, this is never more important. There are...

We have talked in the past about the Office for Civil Rights conducting a minimum of a 12 month look back for data security/ HIPAA compliance efforts. If an organization suffers a breach, with proper documentation fines may be waived. This...

It is a known fact that hackers target the healthcare sector because the data is so valuable. The cost of healthcare data breaches increased from a total average of $7.13M in 2020 to $9.23M in 2021. The average breach cost...

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking comments from all stakeholders including covered entities, business associates, patients, and their families. The growing number of cybersecurity threats are a significant concern driving the need for...

The Office for Civil Rights sent out a cyber newsletter stating that throughout 2020-2021 hackers have targeted the health care industry and the number of breaches increased 45% from 2019 to 2020. The number of breaches due to hacking or...

This week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the resolution of four investigations related to the HIPAA privacy rule. Two cases were part of the HIPAA Right of Access, bringing the...

When the providers and upper management understand the ramifications of violations, then the rest of the staff typically will follow the examples that are set in place. Because HIPAA Compliance starts at the top! Violations happen when someone makes a...

There are many different types of “audits”, so when we refer to audits, we are referring to a “HIPAA audit”. When anyone mentions HIPAA audit, most practices think it won’t happen to them. I hear so often; I have never...

It is the start of a new year and one thing we know for sure; nothing stays the same. Rules change, technology changes, and we must keep up. We wrote about the new Information Blocking Rule last July, but we...

Be careful what you post on your website, you could be charged for false advertising! Some HIPAA compliance companies want you to use their “seal” of compliance. It is great advertising for them, but does it put your practice at...

Medical professionals have had a rough year and a half. This has been trying times for so many and we have had to learn to adapt to new ways of running practices. I was hoping to be able to share...

Many medical providers are so busy trying to run a successful practice they sometimes forget the “technical” side of their business. Hackers know this and capitalize on it. Lately in the news, we have heard about Microsoft and Apple vulnerabilities...

Is your medical practice HIPAA compliant?   Do you have a Risk Management Plan?   Do you have all your HIPAA policies and procedures?   Have your employees completed HIPAA training?   Do you have all your Business Associate agreements...

We try to share useful information as we come across it. Below are some links that we think may be of interest to our audience such as: ICD-10 updates, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Training, Booklets, and Prevention. We have also...

The OCR released their Summer 2021 Cybersecurity Newsletter and it stated that a recent report of security incidents and data breaches were committed 61% by external actors and 39% by insiders. During COVID last year, systems that monitor audit logs...

As all of you know, HIPAA is a moving target. Just when you think you understand what is going on, it changes. By now, most of you have heard about the 21st Century Cures Act / Information Blocking Rule. This...

Most practices seek assistance from one or more businesses to help them with certain functions within their organization. Depending on the type of service they provide, they may be considered a “Business Associate” under the HIPAA guidelines. So, what defines...

Many practices think once they have conducted a risk analysis, they are done with their HIPAA compliance efforts. Unfortunately, a risk analysis is just the beginning! You must document your ongoing HIPAA efforts through evaluations. 45 CFR § 164.308(a)(8) Evaluation – HIPAA...