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
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on December 27, 2024, to update the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act...more
In addition to holiday celebrations, the month of December typically ushers in a final round of enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR), and 2024 is no...more
Cyber, Privacy, and Technology Report - Welcome to your monthly rundown of all things cyber, privacy, and technology, where we highlight all the happenings you may have missed....more
On October 23-24, 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Information Technology Laboratory hosted the Safeguarding...more
Our Health Care and Privacy, Cyber & Data Strategy Groups cover an upcoming proposed rule from U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) that would formalize cybersecurity requirements and allow the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)...more
President Ronald Reagan famously quipped, "I think you all know that I've always felt that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help."1 At an Oct. 23-24, 2024,...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
On February 14, 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a new, final version of their guidance for...more
The Association of American Universities (AAU) and the Council on Governmental Relations (COGR) are among a handful of groups “urging the Biden administration to rescind a policy proposal that would threaten the American...more
On February 16, 2024, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published a final version of the cybersecurity resource guide (the “Guide”) with respect to the HIPAA...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
As previously reported in this blog, on Dec. 6, 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS or the Department) released a “concept paper,” which laid out its vision of future action regarding healthcare...more
The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently submitted two annual reports to Congress setting forth a summary of complaints and breaches reported to the OCR during...more
A strong cybersecurity program can help defend against cyber attacks and protect sensitive patient data. Thanks to a 2021 amendment of the HITECH Act, when a breach occurs, it can also reduce enforcement penalties. The...more
The HHS Office for Civil Rights is requesting comments about HIPAA covered entities’ and business associates’ implementation of “recognized security practices” and payments to “harmed individuals” from funds the agency...more
Just one month remains to comment on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights' (OCR) current Request for Information (RFI), which seeks public input on the implementation of two statutory...more
On April 6, 2022, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a Request for Information (RFI) to solicit public comments on the implementation of the “safe harbor” under the Health...more
The US Department of Health Human Services (HHS) is seeking public comments about the appropriate role of “recognized security practices” in enforcement of the HIPAA Security Rule. Congress, through an amendment to the HITECH...more
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a Request for Information (RFI) to obtain industry feedback and inform potential future rulemaking regarding information...more
On April 6, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public comment on "recognized security practices" and on sharing civil...more
On January 21, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for...more
Recently, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency enforcing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Breach...more
Report on Patient Privacy 20, no. 2 (February 2020) - The year is still young, but the federal government has announced a potentially far-reaching privacy effort that should catch HIPAA compliance officers’ attention. And...more
Google Health’s Partnerships Raise Privacy Concerns - Recently, Google has been at the center of privacy concerns due to its health- sharing collaborations with the University of Chicago Medical Center (the Medical Center)...more