HIPAA Compliance Insights

Certification for HIPAA

Certification for HIPAA: What Actually Matters in 2026

Here's something that surprises most people in healthcare: HHS does not issue or endorse any official certification for HIPAA. There's no

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 28, 2026

Covered Entity

A Covered Entity Is: Who HIPAA Actually Applies To

Last year I got a call from the owner of a medical billing company in Ohio. She'd just received a letter from the

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 28, 2026

HIPAA Compliant Texting

Text Messaging HIPAA Compliant: What You Must Know

The Text That Cost a Practice Everything A physician texted a colleague a photo of a patient's wound for a quick consult. Standard

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 27, 2026

Administrative Simplification

Administrative Simplification: What HIPAA Really Demands

The Part of HIPAA Nobody Reads — Until It Costs Them In 1996, Congress passed HIPAA with a goal most people have forgotten. It wasn'

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 27, 2026

HIPAA Compliance Plans

HIPAA Compliance Plans: Build One That Actually Works

A pediatric clinic in Idaho had a binder on the shelf labeled "HIPAA Compliance Plan." It was printed in 2017, never updated, and

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 26, 2026

HIPAA Compliant Checklist

HIPAA Compliant Checklist: What You Actually Need in 2026

The Spreadsheet That Cost a Health System $5.1 Million In 2017, Memorial Healthcare System paid $5.1 million to HHS after employees accessed the

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 26, 2026

OCR HIPAA

OCR HIPAA Enforcement: What's Changed and What It Means

A single unencrypted laptop stolen from a parked car cost Concentra Health Services $1,725,220. The laptop contained patient names, dates of birth, Social

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 25, 2026

HIPAA Permissions

How Many HIPAA Defined Permissions Exist? A Clear Answer

A hospital administrator once told me she thought there were only three reasons you could share patient data: treatment, payment, and "when the lawyers

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 25, 2026

Business Associates

Examples of Business Associates HIPAA: Who Counts?

The Vendor That Cost a Health System $4.3 Million In 2016, Advocate Health Care agreed to pay $5.55 million to HHS after multiple

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 25, 2026

Types of PHI

Types of PHI: What Counts as Protected Health Info

A Receptionist, a Fax Machine, and a $1.5 Million Mistake I once worked with a specialty clinic where a front-desk employee faxed a patient&

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 24, 2026

HIPAA Privacy Rule

Business Associates Must Comply With HIPAA Privacy Standards

In 2018, a medical records company called Advanced Care Hospitalists paid $500,000 to settle HIPAA violations after a billing services contractor gained access to

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 24, 2026

HIPAA Security Certification

HIPAA Security Certification: What It Really Gets You

A compliance officer at a midsize cardiology practice once told me she'd spent $4,200 on a "HIPAA security certification" for

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 24, 2026