HIPAA Compliance Insights

HIPAA HITECH

What Is HIPAA HITECH and Why It Changed Compliance

In February 2011, Massachusetts General Hospital paid $1 million to settle HIPAA violations involving the loss of protected health information for 192 patients. What made

Carl B. Johnson · Apr 4, 2023

HITECH Act

What Is HIPAA HITECH Act and Why It Changed Enforcement

In February 2011, Cignet Health of Prince George's County, Maryland received a $4.3 million civil money penalty from the Office for Civil

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 30, 2023

HITECH Act

What Is HITECH and HIPAA? How These Laws Work Together

When Advocate Medical Group paid $5.55 million to settle HIPAA violations in 2016, the penalty wasn't calculated under the original 1996 HIPAA

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 27, 2023

Medical Release Form

What Is a Medical Release Form Under HIPAA Rules

In 2023, OCR settled with a New England dermatology practice for $300,640 after it disclosed a patient's protected health information to a

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 27, 2023

Notice of Privacy Practices

What Is Notice of Privacy Practices Under HIPAA?

In 2022, a small dental practice in the Southeast received a corrective action letter from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) after a patient complaint

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 27, 2023

Omnibus Rule

What Is the Omnibus Rule? A Practical HIPAA Guide

In January 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services published a rule that fundamentally restructured HIPAA enforcement — and many healthcare organizations are still catching

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 27, 2023

PHI

What Is PHI and What Is Not: A Practical Guide

In 2023, a dental practice in New England received a $50,000 OCR settlement after a workforce member posted a patient's before-and-after photos

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 27, 2023

PHI

What Is PHI in Healthcare? A Compliance Guide

In 2023, OCR settled with a dental practice for $350,000 after it disclosed patient diagnoses in response to negative online reviews. The information shared

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 27, 2023

Protected Health Information

What Is Protected Health Information? Examples Every CE Needs

In 2023, a dental practice in New England paid a $50,000 settlement to the Office for Civil Rights after a workforce member posted a

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 27, 2023

Sensitive Health Information

What Is Sensitive Health Information Under HIPAA?

In 2023, OCR settled with a behavioral health provider for $1.25 million after the organization disclosed substance abuse treatment records without patient authorization. The

Carl B. Johnson · Mar 27, 2023

Anti-Kickback Statute

What Is the Anti-Kickback Statute Designed to Prevent?

In 2023, the Department of Justice recovered over $2.68 billion in settlements and judgments related to healthcare fraud — a significant portion tied to Anti-Kickback

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 18, 2023

HIPAA Basics

What Is the Function of HIPAA? A Practical Guide

In 2023 alone, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) settled or imposed penalties in dozens of enforcement actions totaling tens of millions of dollars

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 18, 2023