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
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 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
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently published an executive summary (Report) outlining key enforcement activities of the Health Insurance Portability and...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
After more than a year since the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued the proposed changes to the...more
"Rather than reacting, you must be proactive and preventive. By doing this, you will not only be prepared for the potential obstacles that face your company, but you will most likely eliminate obstacles before they appear." ...more
Last week the Health Care Compliance Association hosted its annual “Compliance Institute.” Iliana Peters, HHS Office for Civil Rights’ Senior Advisor for HIPAA Compliance and Enforcement, provided a thorough update of HIPAA...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
On December 5, 2013, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported on the Office for Civil Rights’ (OCR) compliance as of May 2011 with oversight and enforcement of the Security Rule and compliance with federal cybersecurity...more
Presumably at this point HIPAA, HITECH and the Omnibus Regulation have been published, digested and everyone is in full compliance with the requirements that have been set forth....more
Changes to the HIPAA Enforcement Rule - Background: On October 30, 2009, HHS issued an interim final rule revising the Enforcement Rule to incorporate provisions of the HITECH Act. The NPRM then proposed a number of...more
On January 17, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule amending the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security regulations and implementing the Health...more
The Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) of the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) published today the much anticipated final omnibus rule implementing the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health...more
The wait is finally over. On January 17, 2013, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), issued the final “omnibus” rule modifying the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Breach Notification...more
Executive Summary - On January 25, 2013, the Federal Register will publish final omnibus rules written by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to modify the HIPAA Privacy, Security, Breach...more
The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) started 2013 with a bang by announcing that it had reached "the first settlement involving a breach of unprotected electronic protected health information (ePHI) affecting fewer than 500...more
As we pore through the 562-page HITECH Omnibus Rule released by the Department of Health and Services late yesterday afternoon, here are some top line bullet points...more
The long awaited HIPAA/HITECH Final Rule is out. The final rule is effective March 26, 2013, but covered entities (CEs) and business associates (BAs) will have 180 days beyond the effective date to come into compliance....more
To restate the obvious, hospitals operate in a risky environment. They face a variety of risks and a blanket of government regulations. You have to admire the Chief Compliance Officer at a hospital. They learn to live with...more
Office of Civil Rights has released additional guidance addressing the de-identification of protected health information in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Covered entities should review their current...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