OCR

To avoid becoming marchers in the Breach Parade, covered entities and business associates should be aware of tools being used by the federal Office of Civil Rights and State Attorneys General to deter and catch HIPAA privacy and security breaches that may be similar to the red light cameras designed to deter and catch traffic violations.
Continue Reading Government HIPAA Enforcement Tools – Will These “Red Light Cameras” Deter Marchers From Joining the Breach Parade?

The Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released a “sample” letter that will be used as the template for the actual letters that OCR will issue to those covered entities that are selected for HIPAA audits in 2012.
Continue Reading HHS/OCR Audits Are Almost Here – OCR Issues “Sample” Audit Letter

Those entities subject to both the HIPAA privacy and security rules should pay close attention to recent action taken by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, which will increase the frequency and depth of government audits for HIPAA/ITECH compliance over the next year.
Continue Reading HHS/OCR Audits are Coming: What are Covered Entities Doing to Prepare?

Last week for the first time, the Office for Civil Rights of HHS reported exacting heavy financial obligations from (i) Cignet Health on February 22, 2011, with a $4.3 million civil monetary penalty assessment for violations of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and (ii) Massachusetts General Hospital on February 24, 2011, for a settlement that includes a payment to the U.S. government of $1,000,000 for potential violations of HIPAA.
Continue Reading New Turn in the Parade of PHI Breaches: Office of Civil Rights Exacts Heavy Payments From Cignet Health and Massachusetts General Hospital