HHS Office for Civil Rights Director Melanie Fontes Rainer on Progress and News at OCR
ERISA Blog | Changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rules A Primer for Self-Insured Group Health Plans
Podcast - Data Privacy and Tracking Technology Compliance
Patient Data and Privacy
2022 DSIR Deeper Dive: OCR’s Right of Access Initiative
HIPAA Tips With Williams Mullen - Telehealth After the Pandemic
Relaxed HIPAA Restrictions For Providers Using Telehealth
Webinar: Investigating and Resolving Sexual Assaults on Campus
On October 21, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced a civil monetary penalty (“CMP”) of $70,000 against a solo dental practice that provides family dental...more
On August 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced a civil monetary penalty of $115,200 against American Medical Response (“AMR”) based on a complaint that...more
On August 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced the imposition of a civil monetary penalty (“CMP”) of $115,200 collected against American Medical Response...more
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued its Final Rule to modify HIPAA “to support reproductive health care privacy.” The Final Rule is in response to Executive...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS"), Office for Civil Rights ("OCR") continues to be actively engaged in investigating and settling alleged HIPAA violations. In advance of Mother's Day, two decisions...more
Healthcare organizations continue to be prime targets of cyberattacks. It is well-established that cyberattacks can lead to financial loss, reputational damage, and, in some cases, risks to patient care and safety. The recent...more
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), has announced a final rule (the Rule) updating the...more
On February 8, 2024, the federal Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records regulations at 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) were revised in part to increase patient protection and streamline patient consent...more
On February 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), released final rule (Final Rule)...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) recently announced its 46th settlement under its Right of Access Initiative since it was initially launched in 2019. Allegations in the recent...more
Start with a records request. Add a seven months’ wait. Stir in the chaos of the pandemic, with most employees working from home. Blend in a perhaps-neglected post office box. Bake for two-and-a-half years....more
In late August, the HHS Office for Civil Rights ("OCR") announced an $80,000 settlement with United Healthcare Insurance Company ("United") relating to OCR's right of access initiative (the "Initiative") which requires that...more
It is not the first time we have written about complaints, OCR settlements, and even jail time following snooping by hospital employees into patient records. For example, as COVID raged, an investigation showed that for...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on May 8 that David Mente, a Pittsburgh psychotherapist, has paid $15,000 to settle a violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. OCR has been...more
The start of 2023 has brought with it significant changes to data privacy – new state laws concerning data privacy came into effect January 1 (the California Privacy Rights Act and the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act),...more
On November 28, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking...more
The Right of Access Initiative by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) began in 2019. On September 20, 2022, the OCR published its latest press release on the matter...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) continues its enforcement activities to emphasize compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule’s...more
In 2019, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced its Right of Access Initiative, promising to prioritize patients’ rights to receive timely copies of their medical...more
Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced three more resolution agreements settling alleged violations of the HIPAA right of access. These agreements bring...more
The Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (“OCR”) announced the resolution of three more right of access cases, bringing the total to a whopping 41 since the start of its drive to increase...more
OCR’s HIPAA Right of Access Initiative shows no signs of slowing down. On July 15, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the resolution of 11 more cases at a total of...more
On July 15, 2022, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the resolution of eleven investigations as part of its Health Insurance Portability and...more
In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has announced 12 resolution agreements settling alleged violations of the HIPAA rules. Covered entities and business...more
The Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) announced on July 15, 2022, that it has resolved 11 investigations conducted under the Health Insurance Portability and...more