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Severe disasters present significant challenges for healthcare providers, raising concerns about how entities covered by HIPAA regulations can share individuals' health information with friends, family, public health officials, and emergency personnel. As detailed below, the HIPAA Privacy Rule permits the sharing of patient information to support disaster relief efforts and to ensure patients receive necessary care. While the HIPAA Privacy Rule remains in effect during public health or other emergencies, the Secretary of HHS can waive certain provisions of the Privacy Rule under section 1135(b)(7) of the Social Security Act. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has declared a state of emergency [...]

The settlement with Heritage Valley Health System is OCR's third resolution involving ransomware. The agency has observed a 264% increase in major ransomware breaches since 2018. Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced a settlement with Heritage Valley Health System (Heritage Valley), which operates in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. This settlement addresses potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule following a ransomware attack. Ransomware and hacking are major cyber threats in the healthcare sector. Since 2018, large ransomware breaches reported to OCR have increased by [...]

What is HIPAA In Cyber Security? Welcome to the world of healthcare data protection! In today's digital age, safeguarding sensitive patient information is more critical than ever. One of the key players in ensuring the security and privacy of this data is HIPAA—the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Let's explore how HIPAA intersects with cybersecurity to protect valuable healthcare information from potential threats. Relevant Laws and Regulations Understanding the relevant laws and regulations is crucial for ensuring compliance with HIPAA in cybersecurity. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) sets the standard for protecting sensitive patient data. Additionally, the Health Information [...]