Tag Archives: Health care privacy issues

HHS Attorney: Major HIPAA Fines and Enforcement Coming

Photo of Lynn SessionsBy Lynn Sessions, Kimberly M. Wong and Cory J. Fox on Posted in Data Breaches, Enforcement, HIPAA/HITECH, Information Security, Medical Privacy
As regularly blogged about on the Data Privacy Monitor, the past 12 months have seen record-breaking HIPAA enforcement activity by HHS OCR.  But according to recent remarks by a high-ranking HHS attorney, if you thought these past 12 months were significant, just wait for the next 12 months. According to Law360, Jerome B. Meites, Chief … Continue Reading

HHS OCR Settles Post-Data Breach Investigation for Record $4.8M

By Kimberly M. Wong on Posted in Data Breaches, Enforcement, HIPAA/HITECH, Medical Privacy
On May 7, 2014, HHS OCR announced a pair of resolution agreements with New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYP) and Columbia University (CU) totaling $4.8 million dollars—the highest settlement amount to date.  These resolution agreements make it clear that organizations must be able to propose steps to analyze security risks for ePHI as specified by HIPAA … Continue Reading

Reminder Annual OCR Breach Reporting is Due March 1, 2013

Photo of Lynn SessionsBy Lynn Sessions on Posted in HIPAA/HITECH, Medical Privacy
The breach notification interim final rule requires covered entities to submit to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) notice of breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI) (45 C.F.R. 164.408) by March 1, 2013. For breaches affecting fewer than 500 individuals, a covered entity must submit to OCR its annual notification of all breaches occurring … Continue Reading

Whole Genome Sequencing: Are We Ready for the Next Privacy Frontier?

Photo of Lynn SessionsBy Lynn Sessions on Posted in HIPAA/HITECH, Medical Privacy
Co-authored by: Cory Fox Recently, the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (“the Commission”) submitted a report to the President entitled Privacy and Progress in Whole Genome Sequencing (“Report“). The Report attempts to reconcile the potential societal benefit from advances in whole genome sequencing with the privacy risks individuals who share their genomic … Continue Reading

OCR HIPAA Training for State Attorneys General

Photo of Lynn SessionsBy Lynn Sessions on Posted in HIPAA/HITECH, Medical Privacy
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published the materials used in training the state attorneys general (AGs) last year on the enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. OCR has published … Continue Reading

New Texas Health Care Privacy Law

Photo of Lynn SessionsBy Lynn Sessions on Posted in HIPAA/HITECH, Medical Privacy
Texas Governor Rick Perry just signed a law protecting patients’ data in electronic health records and increasing penalties for violation of the health care privacy laws. In what was a heated legislative session, this bill passed both houses without opposition, signaling widespread support for a stronger stance on protecting patients’ health information. The new law … Continue Reading

White House Forms New Subcommittee to Review Online Privacy Issues

Photo of John MulhollanBy John Mulhollan on Posted in Federal Legislation, Medical Privacy, Online Privacy
In a statement released October 24, the Obama Administration has launched a new interagency “subcommittee” of the National Science and Technology Council to review privacy and Internet policy, which may include review of health care privacy issues.  The working group will focus primarily on individual privacy issues associated with the Internet and related online systems, … Continue Reading
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