Compliance Scorecard: Significant New HIPAA Fines
From - National Intelligence Report Health data and information security figured prominently in May enforcement activity. In addition to the blockbuster eClinicalWorks EHR software settlement discussed on page 3, there was an unusually high volume of… . . . read more
Health data and information security figured prominently in May enforcement activity. In addition to the blockbuster eClinicalWorks EHR software settlement discussed on page 3, there was an unusually high volume of HIPAA enforcement action. Here is a Scorecard summary of three big HIPAA cases that were reported in May.
| DATE | PROVIDER | ENFORCEMENT ACTION | ALLEGED VIOLATION(S) |
| May 10 | Memorial Hermann Health System (Texas, non-profit system comprised of 16 hospitals) | $2.4 million settlement and agreement to implement Corrective Action Plan | Disclosed a patient’s PHI without authorization to another patient who presented a fraudulent ID card to office staff and then compounded problem by issuing press release about incident that lists the victim’s name |
| May 30 | St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center (part of Mount Sinai Health System in New York) | $387,200 settlement and agreement to implement Corrective Action Plan | Staff member improperly faxed HIV status, sexual orientation, mental health diagnosis, physical abuse, sexually transmitted disease and other PHI about a patient to his employer rather than sending it to requested personal post office box. Center should have been on guard especially since there had been previous incidents involving staff |
| May 31 | Former employee of Tufts Health Plan (Boston area) | Three months in prison, three years of supervised release and $52,000 in restitution payments | Stole names, birth dates, Social Security numbers and other PHI of over 8,700 customers, most of them over age 65, as part of a scheme involving filing of false income tax returns to claim tax refunds and Social Security benefits |
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