Hipaa Penalties Violation
hipaa penalties violation
Is it illegal to review medical records that are not yours or your patient’s?
I work in a doctors office. The office manager has looked up an employee’s medical records at the local hospital we are affiliated with (a program whose point is to allow us to access tests etc. which are done AT the hospital and not onsite.) Is this illegal? I know it is a HIPAA violation but what could the penalty(ies) be for reviewing medical records that you dont have the right to review? I am 100% sure that there is no release of information on file that would allow her to pull his records. I dont want to lose my job or become a target by informing the employee .. but i really think this is wrong. Thanks for any help everyone !
Depending on how big the office is, you can be a whistle blower and call the hot line. You will be protected even if they find out it was you.
No, it is not legal for someone from your office to look at a fellow employee’s medical records.
I work in a large hospital and I sometimes look at others medical recorded if I am working on a case that I need some help with. But to look at an employee’s recorded just because I can, is not good.
It is not a “Best Practice” but hard for me to say if there would be anything more then a fine.
I would look up HIPAA
Health Plan Corrects Impermissible Disclosure of Protected Health Information
Covered Entity: Health Plans
Issue: Impermissible Uses and Disclosures
An employee of a major health insurer impermissibly disclosed the protected health information of one of its members without following the insurer’s authorization and verification procedures. Among other corrective actions to resolve the specific issues in the case, OCR required the health insurer to train its staff on the applicable policies and procedures and to mitigate the harm to the individual. In addition, the employee who made the disclosure was counseled and given a written warning.
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/
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HIPAA Audits and Enforcement: New Penalties, New Push for Compliance $197.00 Enforcement Of HIPAA Regulations Is Being Stepped Up! Get Prepared For An Audit Now And Prevent Fines And Penalties. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently implementing audits to meet requirements in the HITECH Act in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) for performing periodic audits of compliance with the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, and up … |
