Our HIPAA posts clarify what recent Office for Civil Rights (OCR) guidance, state privacy statutes, and FTC data-breach actions mean for everyday practice. Whether OCR narrows website-tracking rules or a state tightens minors’ record protections, we outline compliance steps—not just the legal theory—to safeguard protected health information (PHI).
Each article reviews recent fines, settlements, and court opinions. We explain how a medical group fell short on encryption, why an outdated business-associate agreement led to penalties, and what risk-analysis gaps auditors flagged. Checklists translate those lessons into updated password policies, media-response templates, and patient-notification timelines.
Blogs tackle thorny topics such as charging reasonable copying fees, redacting records that contain reproductive-health information, and handling portal requests from family members. We break down the legal text and offer sample workflows so practices can provide timely access without sacrificing privacy or opening the door to refund demands dressed as HIPAA complaints.
Responding to negative reviews while preserving confidentiality is a recurring theme. Posts give physicians vetted scripts for addressing grievances, clarify when a brief acknowledgment is permissible, and outline steps to rebut defamation through platform channels or legal remedies—all without disclosing PHI.
Ars Technica and the Minneapolis Star Tribune recently reported that Mayo Clinic is considering prioritizing patient care with private insurance over those with Medicare and Medicaid. The Minnesota Department of Human Services (which oversees Minnesota Medicaid), stated: “Fundamentally, it’s our expectation at DHS that Mayo Clinic will serve our enrollees in public programs on an … Read more
We continue with our series of general educational articles penned by one attorney, an MD, JD, giving you a view of the world through a malpractice plaintiff attorney’s eyes. This attorney is a seasoned veteran. The series includes a number of pearls on how to stay out of harm’s way. While I do not necessarily … Read more
While a patient was under anesthesia, an anesthesiologist allegedly decorated a patient’s face with a fake mustache and fake teardrop under her eye. Then a nurse’s aide snapped a photo. Pretty funny, eh?
Well, the patient was a hospital employee who worked there for 13 years prior to having her face decorated against her will.
Michael J. Sacopulos, Esq. Recently, Texas House Bill 300 was signed into law by Texas Governor Rick Perry. The new law, which will become effective on September 1, 2012, expands privacy rights of patients beyond those contained in the HIPAA privacy standards. The law was created in order to better secure patients’ protected health information … Read more
