{"id":3840,"date":"2023-07-06T13:37:58","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T20:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/?p=3840"},"modified":"2023-10-26T04:52:13","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T11:52:13","slug":"hipaa-violation-consequences-what-every-healthcare-professional-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/hipaa-violation-consequences-what-every-healthcare-professional-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"HIPAA Violation Consequences: What Every Healthcare Professional Should Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p><strong>IN THIS ARTICLE<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"#HIPAA-Regulations\">What HIPAA Regulations Actually Represent<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"#Common-Violations\">The Most Common Types of HIPAA Violations<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"#How-it-Can-Hurt-Providers\">How Can HIPAA Violations Hurt Healthcare Providers?<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"#How-it-Can-Hurt-Patients\">How can HIPAA Violations Hurt Patients?<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"#Violations-Discovered\">How are HIPAA Violations Discovered?<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"#Preventing-Violations\">Tips for Preventing HIPAA Violations<\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"#Final-Thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the consequences of a HIPAA violation? Well, it varies greatly depending on the violation. More importantly, let\u2019s talk about the fairly simple ways that you can remain compliant and avoid violation altogether. Then we\u2019ll get into the consequences of not adhering.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2 id=\"HIPAA-Regulations\">What HIPAA Regulations Actually Represent<\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is a federal law that requires the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthcarecompliancepros.com\/blog\/what-does-being-hipaa-compliant-really-mean\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">creation of national standards<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient\u2019s consent or knowledge. HIPAA regulations represent a set of guidelines and standards that covered entities and business associates must follow to protect the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI). These regulations include the Privacy Rule, which protects the privacy of individually identifiable health information, and the Security Rule, which sets national standards to protect electronic protected health information (e-PHI). The HIPAA Privacy Rule pertains to all PHI, including paper and electronic, while the Security Rule deals specifically with e-PHI. HIPAA Rules and Regulations lay out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/compliancy-group.com\/hipaa-rules-and-regulations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">three types of security safeguards<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> required for compliance: administrative, physical, and technical. For each of these types, the HIPAA Privacy Rule identifies security standards, and for each standard, it names both required and addressable implementation specifications.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is obviously a litany of information out there and too much to digest in a single sitting. So, in an effort to remain succinct, here\u2019s a short roundup of some of the regulations and what they mean to your practice.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Standardize Your Coding and Electronic Transmissions<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA wants to make sure that everyone is communicating about healthcare issues in a unified way, and regulations in its \u201cTransactions and Code Sets\u201d rule accomplish this. To comply, simply use a compliant electronic health record (EHR). Easy peasy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Get Unique Identifiers for You (and Your Organization)<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the \u201cIdentifier Standards\u201d rule, HIPAA mandates that every individual or organization that renders healthcare have a unique 10-digit National Provider Identifier (NPI). To comply, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">make sure that all <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cms.gov\/Regulations-and-Guidance\/Administrative-Simplification\/HIPAA-ACA\/AreYouaCoveredEntity.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA-covered entities<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in your practice have an NPI.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Protect Your Patients\u2019 Privacy<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The HIPAA Privacy Rule, in conjunction with the HIPAA Security Rule, constitutes the most important part of HIPAA for most providers. The rule spells out how healthcare entities may use PHI, and it also delineates patients\u2019 rights to be informed of and control those uses. In a nutshell, you can comply by designating a privacy official, understanding PHI and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">keeping a record of all uses, and understanding the concept of \u201cminimum necessary\u201d to guide your uses. There\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.sprucehealth.com\/easiest-complete-hipaa-compliance-checklist-youll-ever-see\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more on these points in this article<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Secure Your Electronic Medical Information<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perform <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/ocr\/privacy\/hipaa\/administrative\/securityrule\/riskassessment.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a risk analysis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for electronic PHI in your organization, and then implement safeguards to address security gaps identified by the risk analysis. Make sure everything is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">documented<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> appropriately, and repeat those steps on a periodic basis. There&#8217;s a lot that goes into doing this correctly and thoroughly, but this is the necessary high-level approach.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.sprucehealth.com\/easiest-complete-hipaa-compliance-checklist-youll-ever-see\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">final pieces<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are understanding the penalties associated with violations and how to handle information breaches. <\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2 id=\"Common-Violations\">The Most Common Types of HIPAA Violations<\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common types of violations include:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Improper Disposal of Records<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Failing to secure electronic records and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.revelemd.com\/blog\/top-10-most-common-hipaa-violations\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not properly disposing of paper records<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Unauthorized Access<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upguard.com\/blog\/most-common-hipaa-violations\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Failing to limit access to patient records<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to only authorized personnel.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Device Theft<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/intraprisehealth.com\/5-most-common-hipaa-privacy-violations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The theft or loss of devices<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> containing patient information, such as laptops or smartphones.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Unencrypted Data<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.upguard.com\/blog\/most-common-hipaa-violations\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Failing to encrypt electronic patient information<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and not properly securing physical records.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Disclosure of Information<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insynchcs.com\/blog\/5-most-common-hipaa-violations\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Failing to train employees on HIPAA compliance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and not having policies and procedures in place to ensure compliance.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Failure to Conduct Risk Analysis<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/ocr\/privacy\/hipaa\/administrative\/securityrule\/riskassessment.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implementing safeguards<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to address security gaps identified by the risk analysis.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s critical for medical practices to not just be aware of these common violations (and take the appropriate steps to prevent them), but to comply to avoid financial penalties and ultimately the loss of patient trust\u2014a significant penalty in its own right.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2 id=\"How-it-Can-Hurt-Providers\">How Can HIPAA Violations Hurt Healthcare Providers?<\/h2>\r\n<h3><b>Financial Penalties<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There can be both civil and criminal penalties for violating HIPAA. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The consequences of violating HIPAA depend on the nature of the violation and the classification of the violator (e.g., covered entity, business associate, or workforce member). This is probably a good time to point you to the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/hipaa\/for-professionals\/special-topics\/enforcement-rule\/index.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA Enforcement Rule<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the actual section of HIPAA that imposes the penalties and serves as the source of truth.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following are some of the potential consequences of a HIPAA violation.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Civil Penalties:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/reciprocity.com\/resources\/what-are-the-penalties-for-violating-hipaa\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unknowing violation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Minimum penalty of $100 per violation, with an annual maximum of $25,000 for repeat violations.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/hipaa\/hipaa-violations-enforcement\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reasonable cause<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Penalty range of $1,000 &#8211; $50,000 per violation, with an annual maximum of $100,000 for repeat violations.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/hipaa\/hipaa-violations-enforcement\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Willful neglect but violation is corrected within the required time period<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Penalty range of $10,000 &#8211; $50,000 per violation, with an annual maximum of $250,000 for repeat violations.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/reciprocity.com\/resources\/what-are-the-penalties-for-violating-hipaa\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Willful neglect and violation is not corrected<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Minimum penalty of $50,000 per violation, with an annual maximum of $1.5 million.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ada.org\/en\/resources\/practice\/legal-and-regulatory\/hipaa\/penalties-for-violating-hipaa\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maximum penalty caps<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of up to $1.5 million for all violations of an identical provision during a calendar year.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Criminal Penalties:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/hipaa\/hipaa-violations-enforcement\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offenses committed under false pretenses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Penalty of up to $100,000 fine, with up to 5 years in prison.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.rsisecurity.com\/top-five-consequences-of-hipaa-violations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Willful or malicious intent<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Up to 10 years in prison.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to financial penalties and even imprisonment, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.rsisecurity.com\/top-five-consequences-of-hipaa-violations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA violations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can also result in loss of income, termination of employment contracts, and sanctions. It&#8217;s important to note that the Department of Health and Human Services\u2019 Office for Civil Rights (OCR) may refer complaints to the Department of Justice for investigation if they describe actions that could be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/hipaa\/hipaa-violations-enforcement\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a violation of the criminal provision of HIPAA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Criminal Charges<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to monetary penalties, some individuals who violate HIPAA Rules can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hipaaexams.com\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-hipaa-violation\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">go to jail for up to 10 years<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The penalties for criminal violations of HIPAA are substantial, and the federal government is willing to prosecute HIPAA violations at every level.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Civil Lawsuits<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA violations do not provide for a private cause of action, so <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/healthcare\/patient-rights\/can-i-sue-for-a-hipaa-violation-.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">patients cannot sue for a HIPAA violation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, patients <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sue healthcare providers or specific healthcare professionals for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/healthcare\/patient-rights\/can-i-sue-for-a-hipaa-violation-.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">violations of state laws that involve HIPAA<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or under ERISA, or under other legal theories or causes of action, such as tort law.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patients can bring a lawsuit and ask for money if there was a &#8220;harmful&#8221; <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.providertech.com\/disastrous-hipaa-violation-cases-7-cases-to-learn-from\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">violation of their medical history or medical privacy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Civil penalties for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/hipaa\/common-hipaa-violations-physicians-should-guard-against\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA violations can range<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from $100 for an \u201cunknowing\u201d violation to $1.5 million for \u201cwillful neglect\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Loss of Medicare or Medicaid Certification<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If a healthcare provider is found to have violated HIPAA regulations, they may lose their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/hipaa\/hipaa-violations-enforcement\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">certification to participate in Medicare or Medicaid programs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This can be a significant loss for healthcare providers, as Medicare and Medicaid are major sources of revenue for many healthcare facilities. Losing certification can also damage the reputation of healthcare providers and make it difficult to attract new patients.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2 id=\"How-it-Can-Hurt-Patients\">How can HIPAA Violations Hurt Patients?<\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA violations can hurt patients in several ways. Here are just a few:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Identity Theft<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA violations can put <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hipaaexams.com\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-hipaa-violation\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">patients&#8217; private health information at risk<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which can be used to harm the patients it belongs to. Patients may feel violated and exposed if their sensitive information is shared without their consent, and this unauthorized sharing may inadvertently lead to identity theft\u2014something that can take years to remedy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Loss of Trust<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/health-shots\/2015\/12\/10\/459091273\/small-violations-of-medical-privacy-can-hurt-patients-and-corrode-trust\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patients may lose trust in their healthcare providers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if they feel that their privacy has been violated. This can lead to patients being less likely to seek medical care or share important information with their healthcare providers.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Financial Loss<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA violations can result in fines and penalties for healthcare providers, which can ultimately be passed on to patients in the form of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hipaaexams.com\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-hipaa-violation\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">higher healthcare costs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Stigma<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individuals who violate HIPAA rules can go to jail for up to 10 years and the stigma associated with jail time can be incredibly detrimental to a future in medical practice and care. A patient with a long-standing relationship with you will be impacted by this loss and will be forced to find a new provider\u2014not always an easy task.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, HIPAA violations can have serious consequences for patients, including privacy risks, loss of trust, financial harm, and legal consequences. It is important for healthcare providers to take steps to protect patient privacy and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/hipaa\/common-hipaa-violations-physicians-should-guard-against\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">comply with HIPAA regulations to avoid these negative outcomes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2 id=\"Violations-Discovered\">How are HIPAA Violations Discovered?<\/h2>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/secureframe.com\/hub\/hipaa\/violations\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA violations can be discovered in several ways<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including self-reporting by employees or third-party investigations. HIPAA-covered organizations conduct internal audits and report any <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hipaaexams.com\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-hipaa-violation\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">violations they uncover<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Employees also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.haekka.com\/blog\/hipaa-violations-and-how-to-avoid-them\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-report HIPAA violations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> they or their coworkers commit. Additionally, HIPAA&#8217;s Breach Notification Rule requires organizations to provide individual notifications without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days following the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/hipaa\/for-professionals\/breach-notification\/index.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">discovery of a breach<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hipaajournal.com\/common-hipaa-violations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA violations can continue for many months<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or even years before they are discovered, and the longer they persist, the greater the penalty will be when they are eventually discovered. Therefore, it is important for HIPAA-covered entities to conduct regular HIPAA compliance reviews to ensure HIPAA violations are discovered and corrected before they are identified by regulators. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hipaajournal.com\/common-hipaa-violations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are really three main ways that HIPAA violations are discovered<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: through internal audits, self-reporting, and third-party investigations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2 id=\"Preventing-Violations\">Tips for Preventing HIPAA Violations<\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some tips for preventing HIPAA violations:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Train Staff Regularly<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the best ways to avoid potential data breaches is to properly train your team on HIPAA compliance. Annual or biannual training is a great foundation for ensuring your team is up to date on any new <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chiroeco.com\/how-to-prevent-hipaa-violations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">policies and procedures<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Maintain Possession of Mobile Devices<\/b> <b>&amp; Use Encryption<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never leave portable devices unattended, and keep all antivirus and antimalware software up to date. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/intraprisehealth.com\/7-ways-employees-can-help-prevent-hipaa-violations\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use encryption<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and regularly change passwords on all important devices.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Implement Strong Password Policies<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Never share passwords or login credentials.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Conduct Regular Audits<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conducting regular compliance audits is an important part of maintaining HIPAA compliance. OCR conducts periodic audits to ensure that covered entities and their business associates <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama-assn.org\/practice-management\/hipaa\/hipaa-audits\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">comply with the requirements of HIPAA\u2019s regulations<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. In addition to OCR audits, healthcare organizations should perform regular self-audits to ensure compliance with HIPAA&#8217;s administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. HIPAA compliance is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring, training, and assessment.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Dispose of PHI Properly<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper disposal of PHI is an essential part of HIPAA compliance. You can do this by <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">removing data stored on devices so it\u2019s no longer accessible (make sure to use an industry-recommended secure-wipe procedure, when applicable), destroying all hard copies, training your employees on the subject, ensuring employees are aware of any depository or bin where media is to be placed while it awaits destruction, and making sure that your organization\u2019s record disposal process is set up in such a way that unauthorized access is prevented.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2 id=\"Final-Thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HIPAA compliance is an ongoing journey. Understanding the ins and outs of how to prevent HIPAA violations is critical to protecting patient privacy and avoiding costly penalties. But it isn\u2019t rocket science. The tips outlined in this article are straightforward and will ensure adherence. Remember the basics: train your team, maintain possession of mobile devices, limit access to devices and data, keep anything with patient information out of the public&#8217;s eye, double-check authorization requirements, and dispose of PHI properly.\u00a0<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conducting regular audits is also important to maintain HIPAA compliance. Your practice should perform regular self-audits to ensure compliance with HIPAA&#8217;s administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. By remaining vigilant, healthcare organizations can prevent HIPAA violations and protect patient privacy. <\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.sprucehealth.com\/easiest-complete-hipaa-compliance-checklist-youll-ever-see\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an easy checklist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to refer back to when you have questions.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/spruce.docsend.com\/view\/cqvkuwh7zx283zxb\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this white paper<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> delves into greater detail about how to use Spruce in a HIPAA-compliant way. <\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":3846,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"HIPAA Violation Consequences: What Every Healthcare Professional Should Know - Spruce Blog","description":""},"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,14,10],"tags":[126,128,129,123,125,127,124],"different-template":[],"class_list":["post-3840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-compliance","category-hipaa","category-literature-spotlight","tag-adhering-to-hipaa","tag-consequences-of-a-hipaa-violation","tag-hipaa-and-security","tag-hipaa-compliance","tag-hipaa-penalties","tag-hipaa-violation-consequences","tag-hipaa-violations"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3840\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3846"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3840"},{"taxonomy":"different-template","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sprucehealth.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/different-template?post=3840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}