HIPAA Compliance Insights

Covered Entity

Define Covered Entity: Who HIPAA Actually Applies To

Last year, a small chiropractic clinic in Indiana called me in a panic. They'd just received a letter from the Office for Civil

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 27, 2026

HIPAA Breach

HIPPA Breach: What People Really Mean and Why It Matters

It's Spelled HIPAA — But the Consequences Are Real Either Way Let me save you from a meeting embarrassment I've watched play

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 26, 2026

PHI

What Is Not Considered PHI Under HIPAA: A Clear Guide

A hospital marketing director once asked me if the number of flu shots administered last October counted as protected health information. She wanted to use

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 26, 2026

PHI vs PII

PHI vs PII: The Difference That Decides Your Fine

A $4.3 Million Mistake That Started With a Spreadsheet In 2016, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center lost an unencrypted USB drive

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 26, 2026

PHI Identifiers

Which Is Not Considered a PHI Identifier Under HIPAA

A Single Data Point Tripped a $1.5 Million Settlement In 2018, a health plan called Anthem paid $16 million to the Office for Civil

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 25, 2026

HIPAA Authorization Form

HIPAA Authorization Form Template: What You Need

That Form You Downloaded Might Cost You Six Figures Last year, I reviewed a HIPAA authorization form template for a mid-sized specialty clinic in Texas.

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 25, 2026

HIPAA Text Messaging

HIPAA Text Rules: What You Can and Can't Send

A Single Text Cost This Health System $150,000 I got a call from a clinic manager in Texas last year. One of her nurses

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 24, 2026

HIPAA PHI

HIPAA PHI: What Counts as Protected Health Information

A Receptionist, a Fax Machine, and a $1.5 Million Mistake In 2018, a staff member at a large health plan faxed a patient'

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 24, 2026

Protected Health Information

Protected Health Information Examples: What Counts as PHI

A therapist mentions a patient's name and diagnosis in a hallway conversation with a colleague. A front-desk staffer leaves a printed appointment list

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 23, 2026

HIPAA Violations at Work

HIPAA Violations at Work: What Gets Employees Fired

A nurse in New York pulled up her ex-boyfriend's medical records on a slow Tuesday night. A front desk coordinator in Texas posted

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 23, 2026

PHI

Is MRN PHI? Yes — And Here's Why It Matters

A Single Number That Cost a Health System $2.4 Million In 2018, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center lost an unencrypted USB

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 22, 2026

Title I HIPAA

Title I HIPAA: What It Actually Covers in 2026

Everyone Talks About Title II. Title I Is the Reason HIPAA Exists. In 1996, a woman named Nancy Daschle — wife of then-Senator Tom Daschle — couldn&

Carl B. Johnson · Sep 22, 2026