In its July newsletter on cybersecurity, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released “Guidance on Disposing of Electronic Devices and Media,” which outlines the requirements health care providers and business associates have regarding the security of electronic data and media under the HIPAA Security Rule. The newsletter reminds health care providers and business associates that … Continue Reading
Covered entities, including employer sponsored health plans, should brace for audits and enforcement of the Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification rules by the Department of Health & Human Service Office of Civil Rights (OCR) following OCR’s recent announcement of a large HIPAA settlement last month on the heels of its release of the preliminary results … Continue Reading
Health Data Management (HDM), using information compiled by Protenus Breach Barometer, published a list this week of the biggest health care data breaches so far in 2017. The list used data accessible on the Office for Civil Rights website regarding self-reported breaches by health care entities. According to HDM, approximately 200 data breaches affecting more … Continue Reading
Orleans Medical Clinic (Orleans) in Indiana has notified the Office for Civil Rights that the protected health information of 6,890 patients was compromised as a result of an upgrade to its server. Orleans is in the process of notifying the affected patients whose information was exposed. According to Orleans, when it upgraded its server, its … Continue Reading
Federal regulators announced last week that Illinois’ largest hospital chain would pay $5.5 million, a record payment under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), in connection with three 2013 data breaches that affected the protected health information of millions of its patients. The Advocate Health Care Network, which manages twelve hospitals and hundreds … Continue Reading
