Learn more about HIPAA violations below:
HIPAA refers to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. It is a federal law that establishes privacy and security standards to protect patient health information. HIPAA requires healthcare providers and insurers to maintain safeguards for protected health information.
A HIPAA violation occurs when an individual or organization improperly handles protected health information. This may include sharing confidential information without authorization, improperly disposing of medical records, or using unsecured networks to transmit patient data.
Penalties for HIPAA violations range from $100 to $50,000 per violation, with a maximum penalty of $1.5 million per year. Criminal penalties may also apply for intentional misuse of patient information. Fines can be up to $50,000 and imprisonment of up to one year. More severe violations involving fraud could result in fines up to $250,000 and imprisonment up to five years.
Common examples of HIPAA violations are failing to properly dispose of patient records, accessing medical records without authorization, sharing confidential health information without permission, and using insecure methods to transmit electronic patient information.
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