What Is HIPAA?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the Privacy Rule to implement the requirement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAAâ€). The Privacy Rule standards address the use and disclosure of individuals’ health information called “protected health information†by organizations subject to the Privacy Rule  “covered entities,†as well as standards for individuals’ privacy rights to understand and control how their personal health information is used.
HIPAA Compliance:
Although HIPAA compliance is voluntary, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) may conduct compliance reviews and investigate complaints alleging that patient safety work product has been disclosed in violation of the confidentiality provisions.
The Penalty for HIPAA Violations:
This is where it gets serious! Â If OCR determines that a violation has occurred, OCR may impose a civil money penalty of up to $11,000 per violation. Ouch!
According to the OCR, the largest settlements for HIPAA violations include:
CVS Caremark Co.: $2.25 million, February 2009
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee: $1.5 million, March 13, 2012
Rite Aid: $1 million, July 2010
Massachusetts General Hospital: $1 million, February 2011
University of California at Los Angeles Health System: $865,500, July 2011
How to Implement a HIPAA Training Program:
That’s where we can help.  We have a great course that can be customised to your organization and implemented in as soon as 5 working days.  For a free course sample, click here. http://www.cogentys.com/course-library/compliance-training/online-hipaa-training-course/
John