Leon Rodriguez, Director for the Office Of Civil Rights is sending out a strong message to both private and public Covered Entities of all sizes – comply with privacy and security policies set forth by HIPAA/HITECH rules or you could face substantial financial penalties. It was recently announced that Alaska DHSS (Department of Health and Social Services) has...
Read MoreIf you’re in the healthcare industry, chances are you’ve heard about HIPAA compliance audits now being conducted by the Office Of Civil Rights. The initial phase of 20 HIPAA audits was completed in March and found that many Level 4 Covered Entities – Small providers with 10-50 Provider practices, Community and rural pharmacies and with revenues of...
Read MoreLaptop computers have become an important tool of many healthcare professionals worldwide because of their portability, ease of use and the move towards “paperless” records becoming more of a standard. While laptops are a convenient way to store patient records, keep notes and communicate with business associates and colleagues via Email, these devices...
Read MoreAs we’ve spoken about before, HIPAA audits are underway in 2012, which is causing some healthcare IT departments concern. According to Govinfosecurity.com in an interview with HIPAA lead enforcer Leon Rodriguez, there will be less than 150 audits performed this year. Currently, there are 20 audits being conducted which are being used to...
Read MoreHIPAA compliance isn’t just for health care professionals anymore. Business Associates that handle insurance claims, patient records and other personally identifiable information in an unprotected format could now be subject to lawsuits if they’re found to be negligent in protecting patient data. This is why business associates should get ahead of the...
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