Privacy & Security Matters Mintz Levin : Data Compliance & Security, Employee Privacy Lawyer & Attorney

Tag Archives: Office of Civil Rights

D’oh! OCR Confirms that Medical Records Should Not be Left in the Driveway

Posted in Data Breach, Data Breach Notification, HIPAA/HITECH

Written by  Dianne J. Bourque  (reprinted from Mintz Levin’s Health Law Policy Matters blog) The most recent Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) HIPAA enforcement action serves as an important reminder to health care providers of the security risks associated with a mishandled medical records custody transfer and the risks of leaving paper records in the… Continue Reading

Five Lessons from OCR’s Report to Congress on Breaches and HIPAA Rules Compliance

Posted in Cybersecurity, Data Breach, Data Breach Notification, HIPAA/HITECH, Privacy Regulation, Security

Written by Stephanie D. Willis and Dianne J. Bourque (republished from Mintz Levin’s Health Law Policy Matters blog)   Last week, the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) released two reports required by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act: (i) the Annual Report to Congress on Breaches of Unsecured Protected Information… Continue Reading

OCR Shares Preliminary HITECH Audit Results; What’s Next??

Posted in HIPAA/HITECH, Privacy Regulation

Written by Dianne J. Bourque Last week at the OCR/NIST conference, Building Assurance through HIPAA Security, Linda Sanches of the Office for Civil Rights provided an extensive update on the pilot HITECH audit program, including preliminary findings,  what regulated entities can expect next and suggestions for covered entities concerned about being audited.  Mintz Levin attended… Continue Reading

The Rising Cost of HIPAA Violations: $100,000 Fine Levied on Physician Group

Posted in Data Compliance & Security, HIPAA/HITECH, Security

Written by Kimberly Gold If your company needs another reminder that policies and procedures, risk assessments, documentation and training are critical elements for HIPAA compliance programs, we have another corrective action plan – and monetary fine – that should be utilized as a “teachable moment” for health care providers and business associates alike.   Phoenix Cardiac… Continue Reading

Massachusetts General Hospital settles 2009 breach with Office of Civil Rights

Posted in Data Breach, HIPAA/HITECH

The cost of data breaches keeps on rising.  Add another million to this week’s HIPAA charges. Just released this afternoon – the Office of Civil Rights announced that it has reached a settlement with Massachusetts General Hospital relating to a 2009 loss of medical records when a billing manager who was carrying the records accidentally… Continue Reading