The Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) is the federal agency that oversees compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, and its implementing regulations (“HIPAA”). In that regard, among other things, OCR conducts investigations following breach reports and imposes penalties and enters into corrective action plans as appropriate. In 2018, OCR imposed $28,683,400 in total settlements and judgments for HIPAA violations.

Originally Published in the Birmingham Medical News - May 2019.