Medicaid Pays $1,700,000 to Settle HIPAA Security Violations

In its first enforcement action against a state agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) settled last month with Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) for HIPAA security violations it reported as required by HITECH. DHSS entered into a settlement agreement and agreed to pay $1,700,000 (...) [Read More]

OCR Settles HIPAA Violations with Small Physician Practice

On the heels of its $1.5 million settlement with a large payor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced on April 17, 2012, that it settled with a small physician practice for HIPAA safeguard violations. Phoenix Cardiac Surgery, P.C., a practice owned by (...) [Read More]

First HITECH Breach Enforcement Announced: BCBS Settles with OCR for $1.5 Million

Increased enforcement is a key message from the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Since the start of 2012, OCR has publicized settlements with three entities: two of which concerned civil rights violations under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the most recent of which concerned violations of the (...) [Read More]