Morning Headlines 4/25/17
$2.5 million settlement shows that not understanding HIPAA requirements creates risk
OCR announces a $2.5 million HIPAA settlement with remote mobile monitoring vendor CardioNet after a stolen laptop exposed 1,391 patient records. During its investigation, OCR found that CardioNet never implemented finalized policies on safeguarding ePHI.
AHIMA sends a letter to ranking members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education lobbying for sufficient ONC funding to allow the office to meet expanded obligations established under the 21st Century Cures Act.
HHS to stand up its own version of the NCCIC for health
HHS announces that it will form the Health Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, which will work to educate healthcare organizations and consumers about cyber threats and data security.
Prescription monitoring program stalls in Legislature
The future of Missouri’s prescription drug monitoring program is once again uncertain after the Missouri House rejects the most recent version of the bill after several new amendments were added, one limiting the type of drugs monitored and another defining how long patient records would be kept. Missouri’s bill is now at a standstill, leaving it the only state without a PDMP.
Ageed Mike, "patients are the widgets that must be processed" additionally when it costs close to $3,700 a month for…