HIPAA preempts Florida medical records law 
Published: April 12, 2013
Tags: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, nursing homes, privacy
Federal privacy law preempts a state law authorizing the release of medical records of deceased residents of nursing homes to certain designated individuals, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in affirming a summary judgment.
New HIPAA rule means big changes for doctors, hospitals 
By:
Correy Stephenson
Published: February 12, 2013
Tags: agency enforcement, data breach, data security, Department of Health and Human Services, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, health plans, HIPAA, personal health information, privacy
Doctors, hospitals, other medical providers and companies who do business with them are facing big changes as a result of new HIPAA regulations.
HIPAA doesn’t protect hospital for wrongful disclosure 
Published: November 26, 2012
Tags: breach of confidentiality, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, invasion of privacy, medical privacy, negligence
Federal medical privacy law does not preempt a lawsuit against a hospital that wrongfully disclosed a patient’s mental health records to his estranged wife, West Virginia’s highest court has ruled in reversing a dismissal.
Benchmarks: HIPAA doesn’t preempt wrongful disclosure suit 
By:
Pat Murphy
Published: November 20, 2012
Tags: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, invasion of privacy, preemption, privacy
A West Virginia man can sue for the wrongful disclosure of his mental health records to his estranged wife and her divorce attorney as a result of last week’s decision by the state’s highest court that HIPAA does not preempt such claims.
Comp claimant must authorize ex parte communication 
Published: November 9, 2012
Tags: ex parte, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, workers' compensation
A workers’ compensation claimant was required to authorize her treating physician to engage in ex parte communication with her employer’s attorney, the Georgia Supreme Court has ruled in reversing judgment.
Minnesota fines company $2.5M for HIPAA violations 
Published: September 6, 2012
Tags: consumer protection, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA
A healthcare financial services company has agreed to pay $2.5 million and stop operations in the state of Minnesota for two years as part of a deal with the state’s Attorney General over violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
N.Y. woman convicted in $10.7M health fraud scheme 
Published: August 29, 2012
Tags: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, Medicare fraud
A federal jury in New York has convicted the owner of a Long Island medical supply company of engaging in a $10.7 million Medicare fraud conspiracy.
Benchmarks: Adoptive parents can’t sue over birth defects 
Published: August 14, 2012
Tags: adoption, birth defects, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA
A New York couple didn’t learn until it was too late that the baby boy they wished to adopt had serious brain damage.
Yesterday, they learned their legal remedies against the birth mother’s doctor were foreclosed by their adoption lawyer’s failure to follow the formalities of HIPAA’s disclosure rules.
Protocol for HIPAA audits offers limited guidance 
Published: July 11, 2012
Tags: data security, Department of Health and Human Services, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HHS, HIPAA, HIPAA audits, HITECH Act, privacy
The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights has provided the protocol for its ongoing compliance audits under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
HIPAA audits have begun 
By:
Correy Stephenson
Published: December 15, 2011
Tags: audits, Department of Health and Human Services, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HHS, HIPAA, HITECH Act, Office for Civil Rights, privacy, security
All entities covered under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act must get ready – audits of privacy and security compliance under the Act have officially begun.
