A Patient Privacy Breach Leads to Settlement
A hospital security patient privacy breach has resulted in a hefty settlement of $240,000 under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The incident highlights the importance of safeguarding sensitive medical records and the potential consequences of unauthorized access by hospital staff. The Patient Privacy Breach and Its Consequences According to a press release […]
HIPAA Business Associates Requirements and Regulations
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) became law in 1996. It establishes a set of national standards to protect the privacy and security of individuals’ health information. The law applies to covered entities. These include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses, as well as their business associates. Business associates provide key services […]
Protecting Information from Cybersecurity Threats
Banner Health had to pay a $1.25 million settlement due to a cybersecurity breach that resulted from a hacking incident. As a result, almost 3 million people had their information exposed. This was a violation of HIPAA requirements based on the security rule. The purpose of the security rule is to protect consumers’ health information […]
Protected Health Information Disclosed by Website Technology
Certain website technologies may be at risk of sharing protected health information. The Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a bulletin warning that certain website tracking technologies may violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Tracking technologies include but are not limited to cookies, […]
Data Breaches in Healthcare Companies
In the past months, there have been several data breaches at a variety of healthcare companies. These companies include hospitals and health systems. Even though online networks are typically prone to cybersecurity threats, the number of breaches in the healthcare industry have been notable. Kaiser Permanente Incident On April 5th, a data breach incident occurred […]
Enforcement Against HIPAA Violations
In March of 2022, the US Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (HHS OCR) released four new enforcement actions. The Department took these actions against healthcare workers when they took place in medical practices that led to HIPAA violations. Half of the enforcement actions are from the HIPAA Right of Access Initiative, created […]
Cybersecurity – why its important
Cybersecurity threats and breaches cost businesses an estimated $3.5 billion last year. This is important to know because health organizations and hospitals are at an even higher risk. Email is one of the easiest ways hackers can gain entry into any secure information. Hackers are getting even more thrifty. They have found ways to make […]
HIPAA compliance and coronavirus
HIPAA compliance and patient records go hand in hand. The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a press release about the importance of patient confidentiality. This is due to the fact that 2019-nCoV has broken out in many countries. As a result, infectious disease can change the circumstances in which releasing patient information […]
Healthcare breaches in 2019
Healthcare breaches were a problem in 2019. December 2019 saw the highest amount of increases. Hence, it rose 8.57% from November 2019, according to HIPAA Journal. However, December saw a decrease in exposed healthcare records by about 35%. 2019 in particular saw a huge increase in reported breaches and hacking incidents. Over 41 million records […]
Cyberattacks on the rise
Cyberattacks are on the rise in the healthcare industry. Because of these cyberattacks, it is important to know about because they are HIPAA violations. Keeping protected health information private is one of the most important duties of any healthcare organization. These attacks effect not only patient privacy, but also the inner workings of hospitals. Insufficient […]
HIPAA Enforcement for 2019
With this last business year coming to an end, so does the calculations of HIPAA violations and fines. Around $28,683,400 fines concluded the past business year. This beats last year by 22. HIPAA enforcement for this coming year will not be lighting up according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Some […]