The Importance of a Risk Assessment
Why is a HIPAA Risk Assessment So Important? HIPAA requires you to complete a Risk Assessment, often referred to as a Risk Analysis, regularly and for specific situations. If your organization is audited, you will be required to show a Risk Assessment as a part of...
Protect Yourself from Phishing Scams
Data breaches generated through emails are the primary channel for hackers to access your company’s data. Phishing attacks are so frequent and successful that the Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights devoted an entire newsletter about basic phishing...
UnitedHealthcare of CA – Second Carrier Requiring Agents Sign Updated Business Associate Agreement
In Total HIPAA’s February 5, 2018 blog entitled BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBS-T) Now Requires Agents Confirm They are HIPAA Compliant, we wrote on BCBS-T’s requirement for agents to sign a more stringent Business Associate Agreement (BAA). As part of this...
States Strengthen Opportunity for Financial Compensation to Breach Victims
When you think of fines related to a HIPAA breach, you likely think of the federal government doling out charges from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR). The Feds aren’t the only group penalizing those who aren’t protecting...
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Now Requires Agents Confirm They are HIPAA Compliant
Several of our Tennessee-based agents have received a revised Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST). This new BAA includes more stringent requirements for agents to prove to BCBST they are compliant with HIPAA. What is BCBST...
Microsoft End of Support for 2018
Note: We update this list every year. To see the most recent version of this post, click here. There are numerous products that Microsoft will no longer support starting in 2018. For the products and service packs that ended support in 2017, visit Total HIPAA’s...
Is Cloud Fit for Compliance?
Healthcare security and communications platform ShareSafe Solutions recently integrated cloud servers into its infrastructure. The company started initially with a HIPAA hosting deployment (learn more about HIPAA hosting) of four dedicated servers, protected by a...
Deadline Reporting Small Breaches – March 2, 2018
HIPAA breaches involving fewer than 500 individuals, which occurred during 2017, must be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by Friday, March 2, 2018. When do Small Breaches need to be Reported? Every breach involving fewer than 500...