Keep in mind that it’s not just doctors and nurses that need to comply with the law. Anyone selling products or services to anyone in the healthcare industry must be aware of the HIPAA rules and requirements. HIPAA is made up of different sections, called Titles, with Title I and Title II being the most important. Title I focuses on the portability part of the law, ensuring that insurance plans aren’t denied when workers switch […]
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With the regular and much needed update to critical standards such as HIPAA, auditors and compliance experts need to be continuously on their toes to review and acquaint themselves with these new developments. One of the latest such updates is the Health Information Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Enforcement rule, which has caused quite a stir in the industry due to confusion about its applicability. To set certain things clear, HIPAA Enforcement will not be applicable […]
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Innovators and entrepreneurs across the world are pioneering solutions to address the pandemic related plastic waste explosion. The Covid-19 pandemic threatens to undo decades worth of progress achieved by the recycling industry in tackling global plastic pollution. Demand for plastic has risen, with the production of surgical masks, medical gowns, face shields, safety glasses, protective aprons, plastic shoes and gloves now proliferating. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 1,6 million tonnes of plastic were generated […]
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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased vigilance over the proper disposal of vaccine-related materials, such as vials, needles, syringes, and bandages. Pharmacy-based immunizations have become standard over the past 2 decades in the United States, a service that has positively affected every community.1 More than 280,000 pharmacists have been trained to administer vaccines in the United States since 1996, and since 2016, more than 25% of adults have received influenza vaccinations in pharmacies.1 As […]
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Humans are naturally curious creatures. Simply put, wondering about our world and the other people living in it is basic human nature. For some people, celebrities are mere commodities, but for others, they’re modern marvels. Some people can’t help but be curious about the lives of the rich and famous—all the while, the itch to snoop and snitch on celebs is detrimental for those employed in health care. HIPAA laws are privacy laws in the […]
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On April 30, 2021, the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s enforcement office issued a memorandum titled “Strengthening Enforcement in Communities with Environmental Justice Concerns.” In light of the Biden administration’s recent focus on environmental justice and other social responsibility initiatives within environmental regulation, there is heightened scrutiny around compliance with environmental requirements; therefore, supermarkets, box stores, and other commercial businesses administering COVID-19 vaccines should consider the reputational risk of improper handling and disposal of medical […]
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Healthcare giant CVS exposed over a billion health records via a misconfigured cloud database leak. The Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based health services provider owns CVS Pharmacy, CVS Caremark, and Aetna. Website Planet’s security researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered the database leak while conducting routine internet scanning for exposed cloud databases. Fowler said the database did not have any authentication mechanisms or an access password. Exposed health records could help attackers target users The 204 GB leaked database contained just […]
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All employers should review and implement the all-industries guidance, and healthcare employers should take steps now to implement the ETS. All employers should be mindful of the health and safety of their workforce and worksites, including reviewing and evaluating updated COVID-19 guidance issued by OSHA for all industries, and its Emergency Temporary Standard (“ETS”) applicable only to healthcare employers. Both of these pronouncements were issued by OSHA on June 10, 2021. In this article, we […]
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A federal $25,000 HIPAA settlement with a clinical laboratory is significant because it calls for a wide-ranging corrective action plan. And the enforcement action is unusual because it’s the result of a compliance review of a covered entity not directly tied to the data breach that triggered the investigation. Under the settlement, Peachstate Health Management LLC, a Georgia-based clinical laboratory company, must implement comprehensive reforms of its HIPAA Security Rule compliance program and designate an […]
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The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) this week announced a settlement with Peachstate Health Management LLC (aka AEON Clinical Laboratories) following a compliance review that uncovered alleged violations of HIPAA. The settlement includes a $25,000 payment to OCR by Peachstate, a corrective action plan, and three years of monitoring by OCR. OCR initiated a compliance review of Peachstate in December 2017 to determine its compliance with HIPAA following a report of a data breach by […]
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