Ever since its advent, critics of the HIPAA regulations have been crying about the unnecessary regulatory burden to anyone who will listen. A common complaint is that HIPAA, a subtitle of the HITECH Act, was partly intended to improve access to critical health data, but instead hamstrings medical providers’ ability to respond to unusual circumstances.
… Read MoreGive your Healthcare Site a Checkup: Find the Perfect HIPAA Dev Team
As the healthcare industry in the United States keeps pace with our unfolding technological future, many forward-thinking organizations are embarking down the path of building web based products for healthcare providers. However, as many tech companies come to realize, when you dip a toe into murky waters of the healthcare industry, you pull your foot out covered in messy compliance regulations.
… Read MoreState Judges Are Pushing the Envelope of HIPAA Ramifications
Private right of action: four little words that have the capacity to rock the world of health information privacy and by extension the entire field of healthcare. Private right of action refers to the ability of a private individual to bring a civil suit on the grounds of a violation of a particular law.
… Read MoreMeeting HIPAA Security Guidelines in Light of the GOP Data Leak
We often associate data breaches with nefarious hackers and shady dealings. But, according to redpixie.com, about 20% of all data leaks are due to human error from employees within the organization. Last month a stunning example of this kind of gross negligence occurred.
Staying HIPAA Compliant in a Post-Wannacry World
On Friday, May 12th, 2017 one of the largest cyberattacks in recent history was launched by a still unknown hacker group. The virus, named Wannacry, uses ransomware to encrypt user data which holds their whole computer hostage and demands a payment before the data is unencrypted.
… Read MoreComputers Running Windows Vista Are No Longer HIPAA Complaint
In a relatively subdued statement, Microsoft announced the final step in the lifecycle of their oldest supported Windows Operating System (OS). As of April 11, 2017, Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows Vista. This move flew under the radar of most security blogs and news outlets due to the general lack of enthusiasm surrounding the operating system since its release in 2006.
HIPAA Q2 Enforcement Under New OCR Director Roger Severino
It’s a new year and a new administration. The transition is over and Roger Severino has been appointed as the new director of the OCR. While his opposition to gay and transsexual rights have LGBT activists up in arms, he hasn’t given us many concrete clues about how his appointment will affect the OCR’s actions on HIPAA matters.… Read More
The Office for Civil Rights Beefs Up Enforcement Between 2015-2016
Just over 20 years ago, Bill Clinton signed HIPAA into law. Over that period, the act has been honed through a combination of legislation (such as the 2013 Omnibus Act) and enforcement rulings by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). While legislation can instantaneously change the face of a law, enforcement rulings can have just as much effect on your practice and are more difficult to stay current with.
… Read MoreDo healthcare apps need to be HIPAA compliant?
Healthcare apps are a rising trend in the healthcare industry, from patient centered health record tracking apps, to on demand coverage details for HMOs. Mobile apps are often developed by individual developers, app development firms, or by the covered entities themselves.
… Read MoreDeadline Approaching: Report all small HIPAA breaches to HHS by Feb 29th
Most HIPAA compliant businesses understand that they must notify HHS of any breach that affects more than 500 patients to the HHS no later than 60 days after the breach occurs, but how do you report small breaches of under 500 individuals?
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