HIPAA Enforcement Transferred to the Office for Civil Rights ... 2009 Obama Stimulus Package Increased HIPAA violation Penalties, Enforcement Resources, as well as increased practice requirements as reported by MGMA - Medical Group Management Association

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will take over enforcement of the HIPAA Security Rule and add it to the department's current responsibilities for HIPAA privacy enforcement. Furthermore the 2009 Stimulus package - the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 further strengthens HIPAA by mandating enhanced patient privacy rights and physician / practice requirements. This piece of legislation also increased the financial penalties for violations of the privacy and security rules as well as resources for enforcement. This means that today's healthcare practice, no matter what the location, the practice environment, or the specialty, all must have their HIPAA rules and regs met, actively operating under them, and appropriately addressing these important issues. Patient privacy, documentation of services, security of patient health information as well as patient identity information. In addition procedure coding -ICD9CM and CPT4- billing processes, and staff must be up to meeting these standards today, tomorrow, and next week. Where does your practice fit in? Do you have a compliance plan? What steps do you take to protect patient identity, protected health information, and data security and its recovery in the event of disaster? Not only do you have a plan, but do you have it documented? How does your practice address these issues inside the operating room, exam room, business office, outsourced professionals and so on? No practice large or small, private or facility based is immune. Questions? contact BCS President Lee S. Broadston today. BCS the only practice management organization of its kind, addressing these and other countless issues vital to your success.

View the Federal Register notice of the delegation of authority to OCR.