HIPAA Compliance Insights

HIPAA Texting

HIPPA Texting: Why Text Messaging Puts Your PHI at Risk

In 2023, a dental practice in Texas paid a $50,000 settlement to OCR after a staff member texted a patient's treatment details

Carl B. Johnson · Nov 15, 2024

HITECH Act

HITECH Act Medical Records: What Your Organization Must Know

When Cignet Health of Maryland refused to provide 41 patients access to their medical records, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) imposed a $4.3

Carl B. Johnson · Nov 13, 2024

HITECH Act

HITECH Act Summary: What Covered Entities Must Know

When OCR levied a $4.3 million settlement against MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2018 for unencrypted devices containing protected health information, the enforcement authority

Carl B. Johnson · Oct 29, 2024

Hospital Compliance Training

Hospital Compliance Training: What OCR Expects

In February 2024, OCR settled with a large health system for $480,000 after investigators found that the organization had failed to provide adequate HIPAA

Carl B. Johnson · Oct 29, 2024

HIPAA Compliance

What Does HIPAA Stand For? Understanding HIPAA Meaning and Why It Matters in Healthcare

HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Understanding the full HIPAA meaning requires examining how this federal law shapes healthcare operations, privacy requirements, and compliance obligations.

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 12, 2024

Fraud Waste and Abuse

How Can You Prevent Fraud Waste and Abuse Under HIPAA

In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) reported over $3.6 billion in expected recoveries from healthcare fraud

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 7, 2024

HIPAA Patient Identifiers

How Many Patient Identifiers Are Required by HIPAA

A behavioral health clinic in Connecticut received a $125,000 penalty from OCR after disclosing a spreadsheet of patient data that staff believed was "

Carl B. Johnson · Jul 7, 2024

Bloodborne Pathogens Training

How Often Must Bloodborne Pathogens Training Be Provided

In 2023, OSHA cited a mid-sized dental practice in Ohio for failing to retrain clinical staff on bloodborne pathogens after a needlestick incident exposed three

Carl B. Johnson · Jul 7, 2024

HIPAA Forms

How to Fill Out a HIPAA Form: A Practical Guide

In 2023, OCR settled with a dental practice for $350,000 after an investigation revealed the organization was routinely using deficient authorization forms that failed

Carl B. Johnson · Jul 7, 2024

Patient Identifiers

Information That Contains One or More Patient Identifiers

Why a Single Patient Identifier Triggers Full HIPAA Protection In 2023, OCR settled with a New England dermatology practice for $300,640 after an investigation

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 18, 2024

Anti Kickback Statute

Intent of Anti Kickback Statute and HIPAA Compliance

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

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 18, 2024

HIPAA Email

Is Email PHI? What HIPAA Actually Requires for Email

In December 2023, OCR settled with a healthcare system for $480,000 after an investigation revealed workforce members had been emailing unencrypted patient information to

Carl B. Johnson · Jun 18, 2024