HIPAA Importance
HIPAA Importance: Why It Matters More in 2026
A Single Fax Machine Cost One Health System $4.3 Million In 2023, Banner Health agreed to a $1.25 million settlement with the Office
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OCR Enforcement
Office for Civil Rights HIPAA enforcement actions, investigations, and compliance strategies
HIPAA Breach Notification
HIPAA Breach Notification: What Your 60-Day Clock Really Means
A hospital in Oklahoma discovers that an employee has been snooping through patient records for three months. Leadership finds out on a Tuesday. They spend
HIPAA Document Retention
HIPAA Document Retention Requirements Explained
A Filing Cabinet Almost Cost This Clinic $150,000 A few years ago, I consulted with a small orthopedic clinic in the Midwest that had
HIPAA Rules
3 Rules of HIPAA: What Every Covered Entity Must Know
In 2018, a Texas cancer center paid $4.3 million to HHS after two unencrypted devices containing ePHI went missing. The root cause wasn'
HIPAA Privacy Rule
HIPAA Privacy Rule Applies to Which of the Following?
A therapist in private practice once told me she didn't think HIPAA applied to her because she wasn't a hospital. A
PHI
HIPAA: What Is PHI and Why It Costs Millions
A nurse at a small dermatology practice in Connecticut posted a selfie on Instagram. In the background, a patient's intake form sat on
Technical Safeguards
Technical Safeguards Are Your First Line of ePHI Defense
A $4.3 Million Penalty Started With One Missing Safeguard In 2016, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center lost three unencrypted devices containing
HIPAA Privacy Rule
Which Is Not Considered an Identifier Under the Privacy Rule
A Lab Director's $100,000 Mistake Over a Spreadsheet Column A lab director at a mid-size hospital once told me she'd
HIPAA Patient Rights
Can a Doctor Access My Records Without Consent?
A woman in California walked into her new dermatologist's office and discovered something unsettling. Her previous provider — a physician she'd left
Incidental Disclosure
Examples of Incidental Disclosure Under HIPAA
The Conversation a Patient Overheard in Your Waiting Room A patient sits in your waiting room. She hears the receptionist confirm an appointment for another
Health Privacy Certification
Health Privacy Certification: What It Means in 2026
A radiology group in Tennessee paid $3.5 million to HHS after a single unauthorized disclosure of patient records. The root cause wasn't
Minimum Necessary Rule
Minimum Necessary Rule for HIPAA: A Practical Guide
A hospital employee in Texas pulled up the medical records of 4,000 patients she had no clinical reason to access. She was checking on