Latest News in HIPAA Compliance

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a set of federal regulations that protect the privacy and security of health information. Covered entities, such as healthcare providers, health plans, and clearinghouses, are required to comply with HIPAA in order to protect the privacy of their patients’ health information.

Here are some of the latest news in HIPAA compliance:

  • The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has announced that it will not renew the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) on May 11, 2023. This means that HIPAA enforcement discretion will end on that date, and covered entities will be required to comply with all HIPAA requirements, including the breach notification rule.
  • OCR has also announced that it has settled with a health insurance company for $500,000 after a data breach that affected more than 60,000 patients. The breach was caused by a hacker who gained access to the company’s computer system and stole patient information, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and health insurance information.
  • The HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has released a new report on the state of health information exchange (HIE). The report found that HIE has made significant progress in recent years, but there is still more work to be done. One of the key challenges to HIE is ensuring that patient data is secure and protected from unauthorized access.

These are just a few of the latest news in HIPAA compliance. It is important for covered entities to stay up-to-date on the latest changes to HIPAA regulations and best practices for protecting patient data.

Here are some additional tips for staying compliant with HIPAA:

  • Implement a comprehensive security program that includes policies, procedures, and technical controls to protect patient data.
  • Conduct regular security assessments to identify and correct vulnerabilities.
  • Train employees on HIPAA compliance requirements.
  • Report any breaches to OCR as soon as possible.

    • By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your organization is compliant with HIPAA and protecting patient data.

    Staying up-to-date on the latest news in HIPAA compliance is essential for covered entities.

If you have any questions or if you are concerned about your organization’s cybersecurity, give us a call at (949) 474-7774. We’ll be happy to help.

For more HIPAA information, download our ebook – The Ultimate HIPAA Compliance Handbook.

The enforcement of the HIPAA Security Rule necessitates the establishment of a comprehensive security awareness and training initiative for every member of the workforce, encompassing management personnel as well. We strongly recommend that your team actively engage in the weekly subscription to Compliance Connection newsletters, which are designed to facilitate ongoing compliance efforts.

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