HHS Publishes Final Rule on Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient...
The Department of Health and Human Services has published its final rule on the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records, altering Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services...
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Largest Healthcare Data Breaches of 2017
This article details the largest healthcare data breaches of 2017 and compares this year’s breach tally to the past two years, which were both record-breaking years for healthcare data breaches. 2015...
View ArticleIs Azure HIPAA Compliant?
Is Azure HIPAA compliant? Can Microsoft’s cloud services be used by HIPAA covered entities without violating HIPAA Rules? Many healthcare organizations are considering moving some of their services to...
View ArticleHIPAA Compliance for Association Health Plans
HIPAA compliance for Association Health Plans has been a topic of conversation between contributors to HIPAA Journal since the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) released a proposed rule...
View ArticleWhat is Individually Identifiable Health Information?
What is individually identifiable health information and what must HIPAA-covered entities do to the information before it can be shared for reasons not detailed in the permitted uses and disclosures of...
View ArticleData Breach Notification Bill Introduced in North Carolina
A new data breach notification bill has been introduced in North Carolina in response to the rise in breaches of personal information in 2017. Last year, more than 5.3 million residents of North...
View ArticleKathryn Marchesini Appointed Chief Privacy Officer at ONC
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) has a new chief privacy officer – Kathryn Marchesini, JD. The appointment was announced this week by National Coordinator Donald Rucker, M.D....
View Article20% of RNs Had Breaches of Patient Data at Their Organization
A recent survey conducted by the University of Phoenix College of Health Professions indicates registered nurses (RNs) are confident in their organization’s ability to prevent data breaches. The survey...
View ArticleClarifying the HIPAA Retention Requirements
The subtle distinction between HIPAA medical records retention and HIPAA record retention can cause confusion when discussing HIPAA retention requirements. This article aims to clarify what records...
View ArticlePatients in Connecticut Can Now Sue Healthcare Providers for Privacy Violations
There is no private cause of action in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, so patients are not permitted to sue healthcare providers for privacy violations. However, there have...
View Article1,300 Patients’ Medical Records Viewed Without Authorization by Palomar...
More than 1,300 patients of Palomar Medical Center Escondido are being notified that a former nurse viewed their medical records without authorization while they were receiving treatment at the...
View Article67% of CISOs Expect a Cyberattack or Data Breach in 2018
The perceived risk of a cyberattack or data breach occurring has increased year on year, according to a new survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute. The Opus-sponsored survey was conducted on 612...
View ArticleAetna Settles Class Action Lawsuit Filed by Victims of HIV Status Data Breach
Aetna has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit filed by victims of a mailing error that resulted in details of HIV medications prescribed to patients being visible through the clear plastic windows...
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Summary of Healthcare Data Breaches in December 2017
There was a sharp rise in healthcare data breaches in December, reversing a two-month downward trend. There were 38 healthcare data breaches in December 2017 that impacted more than 500 individuals: An...
View ArticleHIPAA Covered Entities Urged to Address Spectre and Meltdown Chip...
The Office for Civil Rights has sent an email update on the Spectre and Meltdown chip vulnerabilities, urging HIPAA-covered entities to mitigate the vulnerabilities as part of their risk management...
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Analysis of Q4 2017 Healthcare Security Breaches
Q4, 2017 saw a 13% reduction in healthcare security breaches reported to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights. There were 99 data breaches reported in Q3, 2017. In Q4,...
View ArticleColorado Considers New Privacy and Data Breach Legislation
Colorado is the latest state to consider changing its privacy and data breach notification laws to improve protections for state residents. The legislation has been proposed by a bipartisan group of...
View ArticleAnalysis of Healthcare Data Breaches in 2017
A summary and analysis of healthcare data breaches in 2017 has been published by Protenus. Data for the report is obtained from Databreaches.net, which tracks healthcare data breaches reported to OCR,...
View ArticleKansas Attorney General Fines Healthcare Provider for Failing to Protect...
The Topeka, KS-based healthcare company Pearlie Mae’s Compassion and Care LLC and its owners have been fined by the Kansas Attorney General for failing to protect patient and employee records. The...
View ArticleAetna Agrees to Pay $115 Million Settlement to Resolve NY Attorney General...
Last July, Aetna sent a mailing to members in which details of HIV medications were clearly visible through the plastic windows of envelopes, inadvertently disclosing highly sensitive HIV information...
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