Keeping Data In Motion: The High Cost Of HIPAA Non-Compliance

The high cost of HIPAA non-compliance

In Part 1 of this series, we outlined how HIPAA regulations impact the transfer of protected health data and how those rules apply to fax transmission. In Part 2, we will look at the high cost of noncompliance of HIPAA regulations. According to Rebecca Herold, an expert on information security and privacy, at Rebecca Herold & Associates, LLC, “The Department of Health and Human Services is increasingly aggressive and effective” in enforcing HIPAA regulations. Her assessment of the landscape emphasizes one key point: Managing paper-based medical records is not for the faint of heart.

During a 2012 webinar entitled “A Simple and Compliant Solution to The Paper Problem in Healthcare,” 1 Herold pointed out that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) completed about 110 compliance audits for covered entities in 2012, as well as hundreds of investigations resulting from data breaches and complaints.

The penalties resulting from investigations like these have run into millions of dollars for healthcare organizations that have violated HIPAA rules governing the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI). A closer look at these missteps will reduce your organization’s risk of making similar mistakes. In fact, depending on your role in the healthcare organization, it may even save your job – or keep you out of prison.

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