http://www.infinisource.net/Rss/HIPAA-Privacy-Security.ashx HIPAA Privacy/Security - News & Review 10 The Department of Health and Human Services launched its website for publicizing breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI) in accordance with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=4d9a9e8e-9dab-4a3b-96e8-daf8aaa7b194 Tuesday, March 02, 2010 The HITECH Act of 2009 dramatically changed the HIPAA Privacy and Security rules, increased penalties for noncompliance and added new provisions for reporting breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI). Many of the provisions take effect on February 17, 2010. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=8625dc76-d67a-43a9-b484-799cc95d7ee3 Wednesday, February 03, 2010 Three federal agencies – the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the IRS – released in early October two sets of regulations for health plans related to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=1f2f31b3-23bf-44ee-842e-8a2dd0b382ff Wednesday, October 07, 2009 A breach of unsecured protected health information (PHI) requires various disclosures under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009. Among the intended recipients is the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which recently created an online notice form for this purpose. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=17d8c2fe-6cbd-4946-beef-1a1b66a2da0b Wednesday, October 07, 2009 In late August, the Department of Human Services (HHS) issued its Interim Final Rule on breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI). This rule takes effect on September 23, 2009, and clarifies the rules that were part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. The HITECH Act is the HIPAA Privacy and Security provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=2fa5ffe8-d4f1-42d8-9b2f-6a9f79579a36 Wednesday, September 02, 2009 The facts of a recent Minnesota lawsuit are so outlandish that they seem more appropriate for a tabloid cover or TV soap opera than a court opinion. After all, the old adage is that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=f640a269-e53f-443f-ba22-3d59ba7f9258 Wednesday, August 05, 2009 You may not realize it, but the HIPAA police are walking the beat and enforcing the privacy laws. The HIPAA police are better known as the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), a division within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A primary OCR mission is to investigate and correct HIPAA violations, especially those involving improper use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI). ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=248e6823-ef2a-4d0a-bb84-582af74db1ef Monday, October 08, 2007 The general rule with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is that it does not provide victims their "day in court." Violations are handled by the Department of Health and Human Services, however, exceptions to this rule exist, as two recent cases show. ../Infinisource/Article.aspx?articleId=bd24ccbd-a0c2-4840-87ef-17d1c24277ba Monday, March 12, 2007