Tag: HIPAA

  • Office of Civil Rights Issues Guidance on HIPAA in Light of Opioid Crisis

    Office of Civil Rights Issues Guidance on HIPAA in Light of Opioid Crisis

    With an increased focus on opioid use and addiction, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights has issued guidance related to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 due to misunderstandings over when a health care provider can share an individual’s protected health information in situations of overdose or…

  • What Eight Things You Should Do to Protect Your Business from Cyber Threats

    What Eight Things You Should Do to Protect Your Business from Cyber Threats

    Cyber threats take many forms. The widespread WannaCry ransomware attack in May 2017 highlighted how computer files could be held hostage in return for payment, while the Dyn denial of service in October 2016 highlighted how websites like Airbnb and Twitter could be made inaccessible. Cyber threats are on the rise within the health care…

  • How to Make HIPAA Disclosures During Mass Tragedies

    How to Make HIPAA Disclosures During Mass Tragedies

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    In light of the recent incident in Las Vegas, the Office of Civil Rights, the government entity responsible for HIPAA Compliance, issued clarification guidance on the ability of a health care provider to share patient information during such situations. While such incidents are taxing on health care providers in terms of treating capacity and ability,…

  • A HIPAA Contingency Plan: Yes, It’s Boring. Yes, You Must Do It.

    A HIPAA Contingency Plan: Yes, It’s Boring. Yes, You Must Do It.

    When was the last time you reviewed your entity’s Contingency Plan? If it has been awhile, or never, you need to get to work. In light of recent natural disasters and ransomware attacks, the necessity of thorough and documented contingency planning, to include backup and disaster recovery, has become a focus for health care entities.…

  • Is Your HIPAA Contingency Plan Adequate?

    Is Your HIPAA Contingency Plan Adequate?

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    Your response to this question may include one of the following answers: What in the world is a Contingency Plan? I think we did that, but I’m not sure where it is. I know we did one a while back, but we haven’t looked at it in a while. If any of these responses sound…

  • A Risk Analysis Is Your Entity’s Annual HIPAA Checkup

    A Risk Analysis Is Your Entity’s Annual HIPAA Checkup

    The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires all covered entities to conduct an accurate and thorough assessment of potential risks and vulnerabilities to the confidentiality, availability and integrity of electronic protected health information (ePHI). This process must be documented as a Risk Analysis. Covered entities must develop a Risk Analysis at their inception…

  • What is the ProAssurance Legal Defense Endorsement?

    What is the ProAssurance Legal Defense Endorsement?

    As a ProAssurance insured, did you know that in addition to medical professional liability coverage your ProAssurance insurance policy also has embedded legal expense coverage for a variety of regulatory risk exposures, certain types of disciplinary proceedings, and other types of covered investigations? It’s called the Legal Defense Endorsement, and it is an automatic part…

  • Texting and Emailing in the World of HIPAA

    Texting and Emailing in the World of HIPAA

    If you experience anxiety every time you consider texting and/or emailing in your health care setting, you are not alone. On one hand, the world that we live in necessitates that information is communicated in a quick and easy manner. The ability to text or email staff and patients has become a high priority for…

  • How Can You Avoid a HIPAA Mega Breach?

    How Can You Avoid a HIPAA Mega Breach?

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    A HIPAA breach often occurs when a health care entity wrongfully discloses the protected health information of a patient or client. These incidents can occur by accident, like faxing patient information to the wrong fax number. They can also be the result of willful or intentional acts, like employees who gather patient information for the…

  • The Cost of Non-Compliance with HIPAA Regulations Can Cripple Your Practice

    The Cost of Non-Compliance with HIPAA Regulations Can Cripple Your Practice

    The Basics of HIPAA Privacy and Security The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that covered entities comply with the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule and Breach Notification Standards set out by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR). These covered entities include health plans, health care…