HIPAA Compliance Insights

HIPAA Violation Laws

HIPAA Violation Laws: What Every Covered Entity Must Know

In February 2023, OCR settled with Banner Health for $1.25 million after a breach affected nearly 3 million individuals. The investigation revealed longstanding failures

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 23, 2021

HIPAA Violation

HIPAA Violation Lawsuit Cases: Lessons from OCR

What Real HIPAA Violation Lawsuit Cases Reveal About Enforcement Priorities In February 2023, OCR announced a $1.3 million settlement with Banner Health after a

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 23, 2021

HIPAA Voicemail

HIPAA Voicemail Rules: What You Can and Cannot Say

In 2022, a specialty clinic in the Midwest faced an OCR complaint after a staff member left a detailed voicemail on a patient's

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 23, 2021

HIPAA Whistleblower

HIPAA Whistleblower Protections: What Your Team Must Know

In 2023, a hospital system in the Midwest terminated a compliance analyst who reported suspected HIPAA violations to the Office for Civil Rights. The organization

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 23, 2021

HIPAA Compliance

HIPP Compliance: What You Actually Need to Know

Every week, OCR receives complaints from patients whose protected health information was mishandled by organizations that believed they were compliant — but had fundamental gaps in

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 23, 2021

HIPAA and Law Enforcement

HIPAA and Law Enforcement: When You Can Disclose PHI

A police officer walks into your emergency department, badge in hand, requesting medical records for a patient involved in a shooting. Your front desk staff

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 23, 2021

HIPAA and OSHA

HIPAA and OSHA: How These Two Laws Overlap

A medical assistant files a workers' compensation claim after a needlestick injury. The employer's occupational health team needs medical records to process

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 23, 2021

HIPAA and Social Media

HIPPA and Social Media: Avoiding Costly HIPAA Violations

In 2022, a Texas dental practice paid a $10,000 settlement after a staff member posted a patient's before-and-after photos on Instagram — without

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 21, 2021

HIPAA CE

HIPAA CE: Continuing Education for Compliance

In 2023, OCR settled with a healthcare provider for $40,000 after an investigation revealed that workforce members had received no refresher training since their

Carl B. Johnson · Feb 21, 2021

HIPAA Compliant Texting

HIPPA Compliant Text: What HIPAA Actually Requires

Every month, OCR receives complaints about protected health information sent via unsecured text messages — a nurse texting a patient's lab results to a

Carl B. Johnson · Jan 19, 2021

HIPAA Forms

HIPPA Form for Patients: What You Actually Need

Every week, at least one office manager or practice administrator contacts me asking where to find a HIPPA form for patients. The first thing I

Carl B. Johnson · Jan 19, 2021

HIPAA Basics

HIPPA Is a Common Misspelling — HIPAA Is the Law

In 2023, OCR settled with a dental practice in New England for $50,000 after an investigation revealed the organization had no written policies, no

Carl B. Johnson · Jan 19, 2021