Resources for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

CMS Begins HIPAA Security 'Compliance Reviews' in Regular New Effort Unrelated to Prior OIG Audits

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Officials from the CMS Office of E-Health Standards and Services intend to visit covered entities (CEs) "for the foreseeable" future to ensure they are complying with the security rule, the director of the office, Tony Trenkle, tells RPP.

Trenkle says the visits, of which there will be 10 to 20 between now and September, are being considered "compliance reviews" rather than audits. However, entities found to have committed violations could be subject to fines, corrective action plans and other enforcement actions.

The reviews, which began last month with the assistance of contractors from PricewaterhouseCoopers, are separate and unrelated to audits being conducted by the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG), he says. OIG conducted a surprise security rule audit of Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta last year, and since that time many hospitals have been bracing themselves for the potential that they could be next.

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