The following is written by Marion K. Jenkins, PhD, FHIMSS, founder and CEO of QSE Technologies.
So you think the Department of Health and Human Services isn't serious about enforcement of HIPAA? Better think again. Here are just a few of the recent initiatives that they have announced, signaling a definite increase in enforcement:
1. They have awarded a $9.4 million contract to KPMG to do random, unannounced HIPAA audits. No longer will HHS wait to respond to complaints — they will be proactively looking for HIPAA issues.
2. They are training up to two people from the Attorney General's office from each state on HIPAA investigations.
3. The fines collected no longer go to Washington, D.C. They stay in the regional/local HHS office, which means the local investigators have an incentive to locate and adjudicate breaches in their favor.
Marion K. Jenkins, PhD, FHIMSS, is founder and CEO of QSE Technologies, which provides IT consulting and implementation services for ASCs and other medical facilities nationwide. Learn more about QSE Technologies at www.qsetech.com or contact Marion at marion.jenkins@qsetech.com.
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