Tag:

breach

HIPAA Punctuality: Always Insist On It In Your Subordinates

In an unprecedented act, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) entered into a settlement agreement with Presence Health Network based on the healthcare system’s failure to timely report a breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI). Under the Breach Notification Rule of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) a covered entity must notify affected individuals, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the media for breaches affecting 500 people or more. Presence Health will pay $475,000 and implement a corrective action plan (CAP) to address misunderstandings in workforce member roles and responsibilities relating to the notification process.

When Policies and Procedures Are Just Not Enough: Memorial Healthcare System Settlement

Alexander Thompson Associate Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2018   On February 16, 2017, the HHS Office of Civil Rights Acting Director, Robinsue Frohboese, announced the second largest HIPAA settlement fine ever. At $5.50 million, Memorial Healthcare System’s fine was just behind the $5.55 million given to Advocate Healthcare in 2016. Memorial …
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Protected Health Information: Has it been Compromised?

Ryan Whitney Managing Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2017   HIPAA breaches occur on a daily basis. Although undesirable, many of these breaches are not serious enough to require patient notification. But others are more egregious and can cause harm to both the patient and the providing entity. This article outlines a …
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Advocate Settles with OCR for $5.55 Million, Officially the Highest Single HIPAA Violation Settlement to Date

Fannie Fang Executive Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2017   The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently agreed to a settlement with Advocate Health Care Network (Advocate), the largest health systems in the Chicago area. In the settlement, Advocate agreed to pay a sum of …
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OCR To Devote Greater Resources To HIPAA Breaches Affecting Fewer Than 500 Individuals

Christine Bulgozdi Associate Editor Loyola University Chicago School of Law, JD 2018   The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced in August that they would be focusing more efforts on investigating breaches of Protected Health Information (PHI) affecting fewer than 500 individuals.  Currently, regional offices investigate all breaches affecting more than 500 individuals, but only …
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