HHS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, announced a $50,000 settlement with Azul Vision, Inc. following an investigation into a potential violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Azul Vision is a California healthcare provider that offers optometry and ophthalmology services. The investigation involved a complaint that the organization failed to provide a patient with timely access to her protected health information, or PHI. Patient Waited Almost Two Years for Health Records OCR received the complaint in April 2023. According to the complaint, the patient requested access to her health information in January 2023 [...]

Settlement represents OCR’s 21st ransomware enforcement action July 29, 2026: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights announced a settlement with OSF Healthcare System and its Affiliated Covered Entities concerning potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. OSF is headquartered in Illinois and operates healthcare facilities and services in Illinois and Michigan. The settlement is the 21st enforcement action brought by OCR in connection with ransomware-related incidents. OCR Director Paula M. Stannard emphasized that conducting an accurate and thorough HIPAA risk analysis is both a legal requirement and an essential part of [...]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, also known as OCR, has announced four separate HIPAA settlements involving ransomware breaches. Together, these breaches affected more than 427,000 people and exposed unsecured electronic protected health information, also called ePHI. These settlements are an important reminder for healthcare providers, health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and business associates. Ransomware is not just an information technology problem. It is also a HIPAA compliance problem when patient or member information is placed at risk. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that can lock or encrypt an organization’s data. The attacker then [...]

WASHINGTON — A substance use disorder treatment center in Illinois has agreed to pay a $103,000 penalty and submit to two years of federal monitoring after a successful phishing attack compromised the private health information of nearly 2,000 patients. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a settlement this week with Top of the World Ranch Treatment Center (TWRTC) regarding potential violations of the HIPAA Security Rule. The enforcement action is part of a ongoing initiative by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to ensure healthcare organizations are properly analyzing their security risks. The investigation was triggered by [...]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has settled with healthcare provider Concentra, Inc. for failing to provide a patient with timely access to their own medical records. An investigation found that after a patient made six requests starting in February 2018, Concentra did not provide the records until March 2019—over a year later. HIPAA law requires providers to fulfill such requests within 30 days. Concentra has agreed to pay $112,500 to resolve the case. This marks the 54th enforcement action under HHS's "Right of Access" initiative, which emphasizes that patients have a fundamental right to access their health [...]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), has reached a settlement with Deer Oaks – The Behavioral Health Solution over potential violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules. Deer Oaks, which offers psychological and psychiatric services to residents in long-term care and assisted living facilities, was found to have failed key compliance obligations under HIPAA. OCR enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules to ensure that covered entities—such as health plans, most healthcare providers, and their business associates—safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Rule establishes standards for the use and [...]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), has reached a settlement with BayCare Health System (BayCare), a Florida-based healthcare provider, regarding potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule. The agreement resolves an OCR investigation into a complaint alleging unauthorized access to a patient’s electronic protected health information (ePHI). OCR enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, which establish requirements for covered entities—including health plans, healthcare clearinghouses, and most healthcare providers—and their business associates to protect the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI). [...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), has reached a settlement with Vision Upright MRI, a California-based healthcare provider specializing in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) services, following potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Breach Notification and Security Rules. The settlement resolves an investigation into a data breach involving an unsecured server that exposed the medical images of 21,778 individuals. Background on HIPAA Rules HIPAA’s Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules require covered entities (healthcare providers, health plans, and clearinghouses) and their business associates to safeguard protected health information (PHI). Key provisions include: Risk Analysis Requirement – Organizations must assess potential [...]

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has reached a settlement with Comprehensive Neurology, PC—a small neurology practice based in New York—over potential violations of the HIPAA Security Rule. This action follows an OCR investigation into a ransomware attack that compromised patient data. OCR enforces the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules, which mandate how covered entities (such as health care providers, health plans, and clearinghouses) and their business associates must protect patients' protected health information (PHI). Specifically, the HIPAA Security Rule requires administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, [...]

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), has reached a $600,000 settlement with PIH Health, Inc., a California-based healthcare provider, following an investigation into potential HIPAA violations stemming from a phishing attack that compromised sensitive patient data. The breach, reported by PIH in January 2020, occurred in June 2019 when attackers infiltrated 45 employee email accounts, exposing the electronic protected health information (ePHI) of 189,763 individuals. The compromised data included: Names, addresses, and dates of birth Social Security and driver’s license numbers Medical diagnoses, lab results, and treatment details Insurance claims and financial information OCR Findings: Key HIPAA Failures OCR’s investigation revealed that PIH failed to: [...]