According to this article, 2021 has been a “particularly dire year” for health care data breaches. So, it may not seem shocking that a hacker gained access to the
Continue Reading Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Data Breach Coincides with Spotlight on Roe v. Wade
HIPAA
How Does HIPAA Compare To GDPR?
By Elizabeth G. Litten on
I dive into the HIPAA weeds on a daily basis, and am sometimes asked about similarities and differences between HIPAA and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Fox…
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HIPAA or Not, Health Apps Must Provide Breach Notification
By Elizabeth G. Litten on
The Federal Trade Commission seems to be getting serious about unauthorized disclosures of data collected by health apps. In a Policy Statement issued on September 15, 2021, the FTC says…
Continue Reading HIPAA or Not, Health Apps Must Provide Breach Notification
Business Associates Beware: You May Need To Vaccinate Staff Under Recent Biden Executive Order
By Elizabeth G. Litten on
President Biden issued an Executive Order on September 9, 2021 (the “EO”) that will lead to required COVID-19 vaccinations for workers in most health care facilities that receive Medicare or…
Continue Reading Business Associates Beware: You May Need To Vaccinate Staff Under Recent Biden Executive Order
“Are You Vaccinated?” Asking, Answering, and Clarifying HIPAA
By Elizabeth G. Litten on
HIPAA has been around for a quarter century, but confusion continues as to its scope and applicability. The COVID pandemic, surge in Delta variant cases, and increasing number of employer…
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4 Key Take-Aways For Harnessing AI In Compliance with HIPAA
By Elizabeth G. Litten on
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is widely viewed as a valuable tool for improving health and healthcare. It is being used by major technology companies such as Google, small start-up companies, and…
Continue Reading 4 Key Take-Aways For Harnessing AI In Compliance with HIPAA
New Year Likely to Bring New Incentive for Cybersecurity Investment
By Elizabeth G. Litten on
H.R. 7898, sent to the President for signature on December 24, 2020 may be the HIPAA holiday gift covered entities and business associates have been waiting for. The bill…
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Re-Setting the Clock for Responding to Individual Access Requests Under the Information Blocking Rule
By Elizabeth G. Litten on
Covered entities beware: a timing pitfall lurks within the recently adopted rules prohibiting information blocking. We have posted about OCR’s “Right to Access Initiative” and numerous enforcement actions taken to…
Continue Reading Re-Setting the Clock for Responding to Individual Access Requests Under the Information Blocking Rule
Which Privacy Protections Apply? HIPAA, FERPA and COVID-19
By Elizabeth G. Litten on
A recent conversation with a colleague in California prompted me to write this. He said that as part of its back-to-school plan, his children’s elementary school district “highly encouraged” that…
Continue Reading Which Privacy Protections Apply? HIPAA, FERPA and COVID-19
HIPAA Right to Access Initiative Targets Psychiatric/Mental Health Providers
By Susan McNear Fradenburg on
Mental Health/substance abuse providers and providers treating HIV/AIDS patients are held to a higher standard when it comes to protecting medical records, requiring additional levels of consent and analysis prior…
Continue Reading HIPAA Right to Access Initiative Targets Psychiatric/Mental Health Providers