The HHS’ Office for Civil Rights has recently issued guidance on online tracking technologies and HIPAA for covered entities and business associates to help them avoid violations of HIPAA and patient privacy. Online tracking technologies […]
In January 2021, an amendment to the HITECH Act was enacted by Congress that required the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to consider the “Recognized Security Practices” that have been implemented […]
The new report from Proofpoint not only provides further evidence of a correlation between cyberattacks and increased patient mortality but also suggests healthcare organizations are better prepared and more resilient against security incidents. In 2018, […]
A hacking incident reported by Oklahoma State University – Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS) in January 2018 was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) which identified […]
Let us imagine the following scenario: In an effort to improve data security and conform with GDPR requirements, a small to medium sized business decides to implement a new policy of password protection; new passwords […]
An American Medical Association (AMA) patient privacy survey has confirmed that patients are worried that their healthcare data is no longer being kept private and confidential. More must be done to protect medical information and […]
The HHS’ Office for Civil Rights has announced it has resolved 11 more cases involving violations of the HIPAA Right of Access. 10 of the cases were settled with OCR, and one Civil Monetary Penalty […]
The HIPAA EHR rules stipulate the measures healthcare organizations are required to implement to protect health information maintained on EHRs against impermissible uses and disclosures. Unfortunately, not all healthcare organizations fully comply with the HIPAA […]
President Biden has issued an Executive Order on Protecting Access to Reproductive Healthcare Services following the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. According to the Supreme Court, there is no right to abortion […]
Two U.S. senators have written to Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, requesting a change to the HIPAA Privacy Rule in the wake of the decision of the Supreme Court […]
A warning has been issued to the healthcare and public health (HPH) sector that North Korean state-sponsored hackers are conducting targeted ransomware attacks using Maui ransomware. The warning was issued by the Federal Bureau of […]
The American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) has been formally introduced in the House of Representatives and seeks to introduce a comprehensive Federal consumer data privacy law. This is not the first such privacy […]
California Attorney General, Rob Bonta, recently issued a reminder to health app developers about their obligations to protect healthcare data – and specifically reproductive health data – under California law following the SCOTUS decision in […]
The HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has recently issued guidance on HIPAA and explained how HIPAA protects the privacy of individuals’ reproductive health information following the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Dobbs […]
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 introduced new breach reporting requirements for HIPAA-regulated entities and called for the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to […]
Given that more than a year has passed since the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was implemented, on the 25th May 2018 to be precise, most businesses are aware that they have a […]
Hundreds of U.S. hospitals may be violating the Rules of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) by including the Meta Pixel tool on their websites, according to an investigation conducted by The Markup/STAT. […]
A new version of the HHS Security Risk Assessment (SRA) Tool has been jointly developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and […]
Google and its products are ubiquitous and are extensively used by healthcare organizations, but is the Google Cloud platform HIPAA compliant? Healthcare was already on a steady path to digitization, but with the COVID-19 pandemic […]
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Rules permit HIPAA-covered entities to use remote communication technologies for providing telehealth services to patients. In March 2020, OCR issued a Telehealth Notification in response to the […]
In January 2021, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was amended (under Public Law 116-321) to require the Department of Health and Human Services to take any recognized security practices […]
Commonly recognised as the toughest privacy and security law on the planet, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR), imposes legal obligations on companies and organizations anywhere, so long as they handle data […]
Ransomware attacks were often headline news in 2021, especially when healthcare providers were attacked. In many cases, the attacks forced hospitals to postpone appointments and procedures out of safety concerns, causing delays to the provision […]
The benefits of HIPAA compliance for medical practices are often discussed in terms of streamlining administrative functions, improving efficiency, and avoiding penalties for HIPAA violations and data breaches. However, evidence shows that HIPAA-compliant medical practices […]
A recent survey conducted on businesses in the United States by CYTRIO found that, as of March 21, 2022, 90% of U.S. companies were not fully compliant with the Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) requirements […]
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud computing platform with millions of customers, and includes more than 200 products from cloud storage to high-performance computing services, but can AWS be used by healthcare organizations? Is AWS […]
The French data protection authority, Commission Nationale Informatique & Libertés (CNIL), has determined the French laboratory software provider, Dedalus Biologie, violated articles 28(3), 29, and 32 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and has […]
The answer to the question why is the HITECH Act important can differ depending on whether an organization is a HIPAA Covered Entity or a Business Associate. It is also the case that the HITECH […]
Data Protection Authorities in Ireland and Denmark have proposed sizeable financial penalties for Bank of Ireland and Danske Bank to resolve alleged violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Danish Data Protection Agency Proposes […]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is seeking public comment on the HITECH Act requirements for sharing HIPAA penalties with harmed individuals and the implementation of the HIPAA […]
On May 25th, 2018, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) replaced the Data Protection Directive of 1995. Unlike the previous legislation, the GDPR affects businesses and organisations which are based outside of the […]
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced its first HIPAA fines of 2022 – Two enforcement actions to resolve HIPAA Right of Access violations and two for impermissible […]
A new Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework has been agreed in principle between the European Commission of the European Union and the United States that will replace the EU-US Privacy Shield, which in 2020 was deemed […]
The answer to the question who does HIPAA apply to is most often generalized as health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers along with their Business Associates. Some sources also include contractors who […]
The actual answer to the question why was HIPAA created may surprise many people who believe the Act´s sole purpose was to safeguard Protected Health Information (PHI). Indeed, the Privacy and Security Rules developed to […]
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has imposed a €17 million ($18.6 million) financial penalty on Meta to resolve violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) related to a string of Facebook data breaches […]
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) breach portal shows 2021 was a record year for healthcare industry data breaches, with 714 breaches of protected health information reported to OCR […]
The Austrian and French Data Protection Authorities (Datenschutzbehörde and Commission nationale de l’informatique et des Libertés) have both ruled this year that the use of Google Analytics is not compliant with the General Data Protection […]
The question why is HIPAA important can have multiple answers depending on whether you are a healthcare organization, a healthcare professional, or a patient. The answers to the question why is HIPAA important can also […]
HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Director Lisa J. Pino is urging HIPAA-regulated entities to improve their cybersecurity posture in 2022 following a year of increased hacking activity and data breaches. There are no indications […]
The GDPR was approved by the Parliament of the European Union on the 14th April 2016 and has been in force since the 25th May 2018. Organisations that are not compliant can now face heavy […]
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights has enforced compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) more aggressively in recent years. While there was a downturn in enforcement […]
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has recently announced his office is conducting “an investigative sweep” of businesses that offer customer loyalty programs to ensure they are fully complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). […]
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of companies offering online HIPAA training for employees. While there are many circumstances in which training courses of this nature can be beneficial, it […]
The bipartisan Health Data Use and Privacy Commission Act has been introduced to bring HIPAA and health data privacy laws into the modern age and ensure that the use of emerging technologies does not put […]
On May 14, 2021, the Conti ransomware gang conducted a ransomware attack on Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) that resulted in the shutdown of IT systems supporting healthcare across the entire country. The attack resulted […]
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires training to be provided to the workforce on HIPAA policies and procedures, but what is the purpose of HIPAA training? In this article, we explore the […]
Regardless of whether clinics are part of large healthcare systems or independent entities, the nature of HIPAA training for clinics should be the much the same. All members of the workforce should undergo Privacy Rule […]
The Belgian data protection authority (APD) has issued its final decision on a complaint against the digital advertising trade association, Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Europe. The APD has found the pop-up legal form system used […]
Although small hospitals may have fewer resources than larger organizations, the nature of HIPAA training for small hospitals will generally be the same as that provided by larger organizations – the only potential difference being […]
The latest DLA Piper GDPR and data breach report shows data protection authorities in the European Union imposed more than €1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in financial penalties on organizations to resolve alleged violations to the […]
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule deadline for reporting 2021 data breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services is just a few weeks away. The HIPAA […]
Although most Covered Entities fulfil the basic requirements of HIPAA training for nurses, these may not always be enough to prevent avoidable HIPAA violations, data breaches, and patient complaints. Therefore, it is recommended Covered Entities […]
Courses that provide HIPAA certification for students can be valuable assets for Covered Entities attempting to cultivate a HIPAA-compliant workforce as they resolve issues with the training requirements of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules […]
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has urged healthcare organizations to review a recent Microsoft blog post that warns of a new malware variant that has been used by an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actor to […]
Because of the role nursing students play in the provision of healthcare, the HIPAA guidelines for nursing students are straightforward. Nonetheless, there have been cases in which nursing students have unintentionally violated HIPAA regulations due […]
Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has renewed the COVID-19 public health emergency for a further 90 days. Earlier this month, the American Hospital Association (AHA) wrote to Becerra […]
The nature of HIPAA training for healthcare administrators can vary considerably depending on factors such as an organization´s size, the responsibilities assigned to healthcare administrators, and individuals´ existing knowledge of HIPAA. It can also be […]
Solo private practices and small group practices are subject to the same HIPAA regulations as nationwide health care systems, and therefore HIPAA training for small medical practices has to cover the same range of subjects […]
HIPAA training for dental offices is a requirement of the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule due to dental offices coming under the definition of a Covered Entity in the Administrative Simplification Provisions of the […]
Because every organization has different HIPAA policies and procedures, what you learn during HIPAA training for new members of the workforce will likely vary from organization to organization. However, what you learn during security and […]
HIPAA training for healthcare workers is a requirement of both the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule. In addition, Covered Entities may need to provide further HIPAA training for healthcare workers if a threat to […]
2021 was another record-breaking year for healthcare data breaches. As of December 31, 2021, 686 healthcare data breaches had been reported to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights that affected 44,993,618 individuals. That number is […]
There has been a significant growth in recent years in companies offering web-based HIPAA training courses. While these courses can provide valuable information about HIPAA and the reasons why policies and procedures exist to safeguard […]
Copyright © 2023 ComplianceJunction