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Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced a $200,000 civil monetary penalty against Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), a public academic health center and research university, for failing to comply with an individual’s right to timely access her medical records through a personal representative. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule’s "Right of Access" provisions, individuals or their personal representatives are entitled to timely access to their health information. Covered entities, such as health plans and most healthcare providers, must provide requested records within 30 [...]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), has announced a settlement with Northeast Surgical Group, P.C. (NESG), a Michigan-based provider of surgical services, for potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule. OCR oversees the enforcement of the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, which are designed to protect the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI) by setting compliance standards for covered entities and business associates. The HIPAA Security Rule establishes national safeguards—administrative, physical, and technical—to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic PHI (ePHI). [...]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced a $90,000 settlement with Virtual Private Network Solutions, LLC (VPN Solutions), a Virginia-based business associate that provides data hosting and cloud services to covered entities and other business associates. This settlement addresses potential violations of the HIPAA Security Rule, which sets national standards for safeguarding electronic protected health information (ePHI). The investigation stemmed from a ransomware attack on VPN Solutions' systems. OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer emphasized the importance of proactive security measures, stating, “An accurate and thorough risk analysis is foundational to both HIPAA [...]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced today that Elgon Information Systems (Elgon), a Massachusetts-based company providing electronic medical record and billing support services to covered entities, has agreed to an $80,000 settlement for violations of the HIPAA Security Rule. OCR enforces HIPAA's Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, which outline the responsibilities of covered entities—such as health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and healthcare providers—and their business associates in safeguarding protected health information (PHI). The HIPAA Security Rule establishes national standards to protect electronic PHI (ePHI) through administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. This settlement [...]

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a settlement with Inmediata Health Group, LLC (Inmediata), a health care clearinghouse, over potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule. This follows a complaint to OCR that HIPAA-protected health information was accessible to search engines like Google on the internet. "Health care entities must ensure that patient health information is not left accessible online to anyone with an internet connection," said OCR Director Melanie Fontes Rainer. "Effective cybersecurity requires being proactive and vigilant in identifying risks and [...]