HIPAA Liability

Along with cyber liability, concerns over the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act,” or HIPAA, and its many requirements abound in a medical practice. The privacy and security of a patient’s health information is of tantamount importance.

 Klein Cook Olson, LLC is experienced in the issues of HIPAA Liability in healthcare.  We can help your practice perform a HIPAA risk analysis, prepare preventative tools in order to prevent HIPAA breaches and address those breaches when they occur.

HIPAA is more than just accessing records and protecting the privacy of your patients. There are many nuances to a HIPAA compliant practice – who it applies to, when it applies, the numerous exceptions, and knowing what to do in the event of a breach.

Klein Cook Olson provides services including HIPAA risk assessments, drafting policies and procedures for your practice, learning how to be compliant with all of HIPAA’s requirements and, in the event of a breach, we can help you navigate the complex course of how to handle and mitigate. This includes data breach response plans, responding to any agency investigations and developing a strategic response if it is determined your practice may have violated the HIPAA breach notification rule.

As with cyber liability, providing privacy and HIPAA training to your staff is one of the services we are most passionate about. Giving your practice and its employees the knowledge, power and confidence to feel comfortable with HIPAA and to know how to handle the situation when a breach occurs, is something we feel strongly about. More knowledge equates to fewer incidents.

It is not only HIPAA that a healthcare practice must be aware of. Other regulations such as HITECH, state specific privacy laws, and international laws such as the ominous GDPR are potentially relevant to your practice and are our specialty.  

Practice tip:  It is always a good idea to check your insurance policies to see what events are covered. Did you know that several “cyber liability policies” also cover HIPAA issues, such as misrouted labs or records and other privacy mishaps? These events still comprise the vast majority of “Cyber Liability” concerns a practice will face. Having policies and procedures in place to train staff on the proper handling and storage of patient information is vital to protecting your facility from breaches and potential fines. 

The lawyers at Klein Cook Olson, LLC, are a trusted resource and advocate in the minefield of HIPAA and its companion privacy regulations.   We are here to help.