HIPAA

Home Health HIPAA Violation Costs $239,800!

(March 29, 2016) Lincare, Inc., a provider of respiratory care, infusion therapy and medical equipment to in-home patients, will pay $239,800 in Civil Money Penalties (CMPs) for violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule after a HHS Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ruled in favor of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). […]

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HIPAA Security Risk Assessments are Essential

(September 29, 2014) In the last article, we discussed the importance of conducting HIPAA security risk assessments, as part of your obligations under the HIPAA Security rules. The importance of promptly conducting a risk analysis if it has not yet done cannot be overestimated, as the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has now announced

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CMS and Contractors Must Address EHR Fraud Vulnerabilities

(February 7, 2014): A new report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finds that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and its contractors have adopted few Medicare program integrity practices to address electronic health record (EHR) fraud vulnerabilities. These EHR fraud vulnerabilities include

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The HIPAA / HITECH Omnibus Final Rule is Here! Is Your Health Care Organization Complying with the Rules?

(September 23, 2013): Effective today, all covered entities and business associates must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Omnibus Final Rule. Please keep in mind, the Final Omnibus Rule is 138 pages long. If you have not already read these new requirements, we strongly recommend that all covered entities, business associates

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Texas Medical Privacy Act Takes Effect

(September 11, 2012): They say that “Everything is Bigger in Texas,” and its law concerning medical privacy is no exception. The Texas Legislature recently enacted the Texas Medical Privacy Act (TMPA)[1], also known as the Texas HIPAA law. The new law substantially increases the compliance burden on medical and service providers, suppliers, business associates, third

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What Should I Do If I Discover A Breach of PHI?

(September 6, 2012): What should you do if you discover a breach of PHI (Protected Health Information). The short answer is: it all depends on who you are. With the rise in concern over and enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), patients, families, practitioners, and health care executives need

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Overseas Outsourced Billing and Coding – Compliance Risks

(August 16, 2012): Thinking of sending your medical coding and billing functions out of the country? You better think twice. While overseas outsourced billing is growing in popularity for medical office functions, this practice represents a unique and growing set of problems for both physician practices and 3rd party billers. And the news is just

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Healthcare Cloud Computing – Compliance Risks

(August 14, 2012): Cloud computing is in the process of revolutionizing the way that individuals and businesses store, receive, and use their data. You may have heard about it through companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, all advertising sophisticated cloud computing services. But what are the risks your organization faces with respect to healthcare

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Social Media and Healthcare: A Little More Complicated

(June 20, 2012): A few weeks ago, you may have heard our Firm present a webinar on “Healthcare Providers and Social Media: Risks to be Considered.” Our article here summarizes some of the more important points of that presentation. As an update, we are detailing some new issues to be taken into account by providers

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Physician Alleged to Have Wrongfully Disclosed PHI is Being Prosecuted

(June 24, 2011): Physicians and other health care providers should take care — wrongfully disclosed PHI (protected health information) and could land you in Federal prison. Earlier this week, Virginia osteopath was indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia on charges that he illegally disclosed a former patient’s health information to the patient’s employer. The

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