Will the GDPR Affect Your Practice?

What is the GDPR? GDPR or General Data Protection Regulations is a set of laws passed by the European Union (EU) in May 2018, to provide rules for protecting electronic data on individuals in the European Union. These regulations include similar security restrictions for Europe as HIPAA does for the USA. One of the biggest differences […]

April News Roundup

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It’s a busy world out there and it can be tough to keep up on all the news. Here are three compliance-related news stories to keep you “in the know.” Alexa is getting a HIPAA upgrade Alexa the voice-controlled digital assistant from Amazon, is commonly used for home automation, entertainment streaming, and various administrative functions, […]

D.0 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

administrative simplification

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announces the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) CMS-0055-P that was recently published in the Federal Register. This NPRM proposes to modify the requirements for the use of the Telecommunication Standard Implementation Guide, Version D, Release 0 (Version D.0), August 2007, National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) […]

HIPAA Myth: Listening to Family and Friends

HIPAA

Recently I had a very frustrating visit with my doctor. As an educator with an expertise in HIPAA law it is difficult when I run headlong into someone who adamantly believes incorrect information. I hear this often from my clients too when they are dealing with other healthcare offices. It is not surprising. HIPAA is […]

Breach Should Be a Four-Letter Word

Most every day it seems a new report emerges about an organization that has been compromised. Big names such as Equifax, Neiman Marcus, Target and Home Depot have all made the dreaded announcement of a data breach and even a local Dunkin Donuts franchise in announced that their patron’s information had been inappropriately accessed. The […]

What’s New in Cyber Crime?

cyber crime

When it comes to cyber security, you are on top of it! You have complex password phrases, password lockers, tight privacy settings on your social media, and even physical safeguards in place. Well done!  Unfortunately, scammers and cyber criminals are also on top of their game, continually evolving their techniques and exploiting technological and psychological […]

HHS OCR Warns: Don’t Forget About Physical Security

In their most recent newsletter, OCR reminds all that HIPAA rules require that you protect patient information with technological, administrative and physical safeguards. OCR states: “While the latest security solutions to combat new threats and vulnerabilities get much deserved attention, appropriate physical security controls are often overlooked. Yet physical security controls remain essential and often […]

HHS Releases New Guidance on Research Authorizations

hipaa

In June 2018 the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued guidance related to streamlining authorization under HIPAA for uses and disclosures of protected health information (PHI) for research. Under the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016, HHS is required to help simplify the research process by clarifying: 1. the authorization for use or […]

Protect ePHI when Dumping Data Devices

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Before the wide-scale introduction of technology to the healthcare industry, the most important thing to remember about disposing of old PHI used to be to lift with your legs to get those dusty storage boxes into the bin for shredding and recycling. Now that most patient data is stored electronically, there’s a lot less heavy […]

DEA Warns of Fax-based Phishing Scams Targeting Physicians and Pharmacies

phishing scams

The most recent warnings from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) this month concern phishing scams from individuals posing as DEA agents attempting to obtain a physician’s DEA registration number or signature, PHI, social security numbers and even credit card data. Be on guard for suspicious phone calls, faxes or emails. The DEA does not ever […]