Relias Media - Continuing Medical Education Publishing

The trusted source for

healthcare information and

CONTINUING EDUCATION.

  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • MyAHC
    • Home
      • Home
      • Newsletters
      • Blogs
      • Archives
      • CME/CE Map
      • Shop
    • Emergency
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • Hospital
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • Clinical
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • All Access
      • My Subscription
      • Subscribe Now
    • My Account
      • My Subscriptions
      • My Content
      • My Orders
      • My CME/CE
      • My Transcript
    Home » Blogs » Compliance Mentor » Dialysis Provider Fresenius to Pay $3.5M to Settle HIPAA Violations

    Compliance Mentor
    Compliance Mentor RSS FeedRSS

    compliance-mentor-static-reliasmedia

    Free Monthly News from the Award Winning Publisher of:

    • Hospital Access Management
    • Hospital Case Management
    • Hospital Employee Health
    • Hospital Infection Control
    • Hospital Peer Review
    • Healthcare Risk Management
    • Case Management Advisor
    • IRB Advisor
    • Medical Ethics Advisor
    • Same-Day Surgery

     

    Dialysis Provider Fresenius to Pay $3.5M to Settle HIPAA Violations

    February 19, 2018
    No Comments
    Reprints
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin Share Share
    By Robert B. Vogel, MD, JD

    Robert B. Vogel, MD, JD
    Retinal Ophthalmologist at Piedmont Eye Center, Lynchburg VA;
    Attorney, Overbey Hawkins & Wright, PLLS, Lynchburg, VA;
    Adjunct Professor, Humanities and Bioethics, Liberty University School of Medicine, Lynchburg, VA.

    Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) will pay $3.5 million to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights to settle Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations. FMCNA also will adopt a “comprehensive corrective action plan,” according to an HHS press statement.

    In 2013, FMCNA, a company that produces dialysis services and products, filed five breach reports. Each involved breaches of unsecured electronic protected health information (ePHI) occurring at FMCNA facilities over four months in 2012.

    One case involved theft of two desktop computers containing 200 patients’ ePHI. Another breach occurred when an unencrypted USB drive containing 245 patients’ ePHI was stolen. In a third case, a hard drive containing 35 patients’ ePHI was replaced, but later discovered missing. Another case involved theft of an unencrypted laptop containing 10 patients’ ePHI. The fifth breach occurred when three desktop computers—one containing 31 patients’ ePHI—and one laptop were stolen.

    An OCR compliance review was initiated soon after the FMCNA report showed that the company had failed to assess its potential HIPAA risks and vulnerabilities, safeguard its facilities, implement policies governing the removal of hardware from its facilities, and encrypt devices appropriately.

    By agreeing to the settlement, FMCNA admitted no liability and all other potential claims against it by HHS were released.

    No information related to this activity was on FMCNA’s compliance website at press time—only a document explaining basic privacy and security rules for its customers and patients.
     


    Product Spotlight - Blue

    Hospital Infection Control & Prevention

    With infection prevention programs in the national spotlight like never before, award-winning Hospital Infection Control & Prevention (18 CE annually) is here to help. Each month, we’ll keep you up to speed with precise compliance information on the latest guidelines, accreditation standards, and state and federal regulations.

    Learn More - Orange


    Post a comment to this article

    Report Abusive Comment

    www.reliasmedia.com

    Compliance Mentor

    View PDF
    Compliance Mentor - February 2018
    February 1, 2018

    Table Of Contents

    “Granston Memo” May Signal New Direction for Government in Qui Tam Cases

    Dialysis Provider Fresenius to Pay $3.5M to Settle HIPAA Violations

    Doctor Gets Prison Sentence, Ordered to Pay Restitution for Healthcare Fraud

    Indiana Becomes Second State to Tie Work Requirements to Medicaid

    Shop Now: Search Products

    • Subscription Publications
    • Books & Study Guides
    • Webinars
    • Group & Site
      Licenses
    • State CME/CE
      Requirements

    Webinars And Events

    View All Events
    • Home
      • Home
      • Newsletters
      • Blogs
      • Archives
      • CME/CE Map
      • Shop
    • Emergency
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • Hospital
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • Clinical
      • All Products
      • Publications
      • Study Guides
      • Webinars
      • Group Sales
    • All Access
      • My Subscription
      • Subscribe Now
    • My Account
      • My Subscriptions
      • My Content
      • My Orders
      • My CME/CE
      • My Transcript
    • Help
    • Search
    • About Us
    • Sign In
    • Register
    Relias Media - Continuing Medical Education Publishing

    The trusted source for

    healthcare information and

    CONTINUING EDUCATION.

    Customer Service

    customerservice@reliasmedia.com

    U.S. and Canada: 1-800-688-2421 x 2

    International +1-404-262-5476 x 2

    Accounts Receivable

    1-800-688-2421 x 3
    ReliasMedia_AR@reliasmedia.com

    Sales

    1-800-688-2421 x 1

    Mailing Address

    • 1010 Sync St., Suite 100
      Morrisville, NC 27560-5468
      USA

    © 2022 Relias. All rights reserved.

    Do Not Sell My Personal Information  Privacy Policy  Terms of Use  Contact Us  Reprints  Group Sales

    For DSR inquiries or complaints, please reach out to Wes Vaux, Data Privacy Officer, DPO@relias.com

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing