Compliance News Roundup: $400k Faulty BA

1. 10 largest HIPAA settlement fines - “HHS' Office for Civil Rights is becoming more aggressive in enforcing HIPAA regulations. In the first seven months of 2016 alone, HHS recorded close to $15 million in settlement payments. As HIPAA audits ramp up, hospitals and health systems are bolstering safeguards and security practices to avoid multimillion dollar fines.” Read more here: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/10-largest-hipaa-settlement-fines.html

2. Recent settlements show cost of HIPAA violations - “Last year, New York Presbyterian Hospital came under fire while it was in the midst of filming NY Med, a show chronicling the real-life efforts of providers to treat patients in its emergency department.” Read more here: http://www.healthcarebusinesstech.com/hipaa-settlements/

3. Faulty business associate agreement costs Care New England Health System (CNE) $400,000 plus a two-year corrective action plan with HHS OCR - “According to OCR, Care New England Health System (CNE) has common ownership or control of over 8 covered entity hospitals or clinics in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In November of 2012, OCR received notification from one of CNE’s hospitals, Woman & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island (WIH), that unencrypted backup tapes containing the ultrasound studies of approximately 14,000 individuals had been lost. The tapes contained information that included the patient’s name, data of birth, date of exam, physician names, and, in some instances, Social Security Numbers.” Read more here: Deeper Than the Headlines: $400k Faulty BA