This is a reminder that the HIPAA Breach reporting deadline is less than two weeks away, which means HIPAA breaches involving fewer than 500 individuals which occurred during 2021 must be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) no later than Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
The HIPAA Breach Notification Rule places a strict time limit on the issuing of notifications and reporting of data breaches of individuals whose protected health information has been exposed. For breaches of PHI, notification letters to individuals affected must be sent within 60 days from the date of discovery and without reasonable delay.
When reporting breaches of fewer than 500 individuals, you may report these small breaches as they occur to HHS, or you have 60 days from the end of the calendar year in which the breach was discovered. Breaches must be reported to the HHS via the breach reporting tool on the HHS website below.
https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/breach/wizard_breach...
HHS strongly advises reporting breaches well ahead of the deadline as there will likely be high levels of traffic on the breach reporting portal as the deadline approaches, which could cause availability issues. The failure to report HIPAA breaches could result in serious consequences and potential financial penalties.
Want to know more about HIPAA? Ask the experts at MedSafe.
If you have questions about a HIPAA violation or HIPAA training contact the experts at MedSafe. MedSafe is the nation's leading one-stop resource for outsourced accreditation and healthcare compliance solutions. For over 20 years, we have been providing peace of mind to hospital groups, private practices, and their business associates. Our suite of onsite and online services, including OSHA, HIPAA, Corporate Compliance and Code Auditing, equip your practice with the necessary tools and skills to achieve and maintain regulatory & billing compliance. MedSafe takes a hands-on approach and works directly with your team to uncover issues and define suitable solutions.
Phone: (888) MED-SAFE
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