$400,000 HIPAA Breach Penalty In Denver, Colorado

MSP Mentor recently posted an article stating a network of public health clinics in the Denver, Colorado have been fined $400,000 for HIPAA data breaches. The breaches occurred through phishing (aka email hacking), gaining electronic health records of over 3,000 patients. “Investigators from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) found … [Read more…]

American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) Reviews Patient Data Access

According to Patient Engagement HIT, American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) recently posted data guiding patients through the appropriate process of obtaining their medical records from their providers and navigating through HIPPA privacy regulations. “Per HIPAA, patients may ask to view and obtain a copy of their health records, receive records in paper or electronic copies, … [Read more…]

After 2.5 years, HHS finally finalizes modifications to HIPAA rules

Excellent and detailed write-up of the new HIPAA rules that take effect on September 23, 2013: On January 17, 2013, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) issued the highly anticipated omnibus final rule (the “Final Rule”) to modify the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) pursuant to the Health … [Read more…]

10 Affordable Health Care Act changes to be aware of for 2013

With 2013 right around the corner, you should be aware of the following 10 items for your checklist to make sure you’re ready for the Affordable Health Care Act. Effective in 2013: The following list itemizes the changes that generally will become effective in 2013.  The effective date depends upon a number of factors, including whether … [Read more…]