Health Tech Podcast - Episode 3: HIPAA, HITECH and TCPA
The Biggest Changes in HIPAA/HITECH Omnibus Rule & Recommended Action Steps—Ted Kobus
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has, as part of its mandate, the responsibility to enforce the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule....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
There has been a notable emphasis on proactive enforcement of the privacy and security of protected health information in recent weeks as evidenced by multiple developments regarding compliance with the Health Insurance...more
Just in case your office or company is in the process of compiling a “to-do” list for 2021, here is one item that should have your full attention. On January 5, 2021, an amendment to the HITECH Act (H.R.7898) was signed into...more
On December 12, 2019, OIG released a report finding that CMS made an estimated $94 million in incorrect Medicare incentive payments to acute-care hospitals for using electronic health records (EHRs) over an audit period from...more
In a June 12, 2017 report entitled, Medicare Paid Hundreds of Millions in Electronic Health Record Incentive Payments That Did Not Comply With Federal Requirements, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of...more
On September 29, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Office of Evaluation and Inspections, released two studies calling on the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to...more
In two recent reports, each with a specific focus, the OIG strongly recommended that the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) step up its HIPAA oversight and enforcement activities. One report assessed the OCR’s oversight of covered...more
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) must improve its oversight and enforcement of patient information privacy and security rules by “covered entities” and their business associates under the Health Information Portability...more
On September 29, it was revealed that the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will commence Phase 2 of its HIPAA audit program in “early 2016.” OCR’s revelation regarding the Phase 2 audits, which had been the subject of...more
Officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (HHS OCR) have recently selected a vendor to conduct the second wave of HIPAA audits. These so-called “Phase 2 Audits” are set to commence...more
The Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has selected Ashburn, Virginia-based FCi Federal to conduct the next round of HIPAA audits mandated by the HITECH Act. OCR views the audits as a compliance tool that will hopefully get out...more
As of early December 2014, 1,170 security breaches under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) involving 31 million records had been reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)...more
In 2015, the United States Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will begin enforcing the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health...more
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will soon begin a second phase of audits (Phase 2 Audits) of compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)...more
The office of US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recentlyannounced plans to perform "pre-audit" HIPAA compliance surveys of 800 Covered Entities and 400 Business Associates. Under the...more
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to launch its long-awaited HIPAA audit program sometime in 2014. The audit program will be run by HHS’ Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which is likely eager to get...more
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is preparing to conduct an online survey of the 115 covered entities it audited in 2012 as part of the HITECH-mandated, pilot audit program. OCR hopes to use the survey results to evaluate...more
One of the less well-known provisions of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (or "HITECH") Act[1] is the requirement that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") periodically...more
Protocol provides clues regarding areas of focus for ongoing HIPAA audits assessing compliance with the Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the Department of Health...more