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civil money penalty

OCR Imposes a $1.6 Million Civil Money Penalty against Texas Health and Human Services Commission for HIPAA Violations — $1,600,000

Resolution Nov 2019

Penalty

$1,600,000

Action type

Civil money penalty

Entity profile

TX

Case number

—

What went wrong

OCR Imposes a $1.6 Million Civil Money Penalty against Texas Health and Human Services Commission for HIPAA Violations - November 7, 2019

  • Navigate to: HIPAA for Professionals Regulatory Initiatives Privacy Summary of the Privacy Rule Guidance Combined Text of All Rules HIPAA Related Links Security Security Rule NPRM Summary of the Security Rule Security Guidance Cyber Security Guidance Breach Notification Breach Reporting Guidance Reports to Congress Regulation History Compliance & Enforcement Enforcement Rule Enforcement Process En

Full description

Navigate to: HIPAA for Professionals Regulatory Initiatives Privacy Summary of the Privacy Rule Guidance Combined Text of All Rules HIPAA Related Links Security Security Rule NPRM Summary of the Security Rule Security Guidance Cyber Security Guidance Breach Notification Breach Reporting Guidance Reports to Congress Regulation History Compliance & Enforcement Enforcement Rule Enforcement Process Enforcement Data Resolution Agreements Case Examples Audit Reports to Congress State Attorneys General Special Topics Parental Access Mental and Behavioral Health Change Healthcare Cybersecurity Incident FAQs HIPAA and COVID-19 HIPAA and Reproductive Health HIPAA and Final Rule Notice HIPAA and Telehealth HIPAA and FERPA Research Public Health Emergency Response Health Information Technology Health Apps Patient Safety Covered Entities & Business Associates Business Associate Contracts Business Associates Training & Resources FAQs for Professionals Other Administrative Simplification Rules Substance Use Disorder Confidentiality OCR Imposes a $1.6 Million Civil Money Penalty against Texas Health and Human Services Commission for HIPAA Violations The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has imposed a $1,600,000 civil money penalty against the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (TX HHSC), for violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules between 2013 and 2017. TX HHSC is part of the Texas HHS system, which operates state supported living centers; provides mental health and substance use services; regulates child care and nursing facilities; and administers hundreds of programs for people who need assistance, including supplemental nutrition benefits and Medicaid. The Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS), a state agency that administered long-term care services for people who are aging, and for people with intellectual and physical disabilities, was reorganized into TX HHSC in September 2017. Read the HHS Press Release Read the Notice of Proposed Determination Read the Notice of Final Determination People using assistive technology may not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights at (800) 368-1019, TDD toll-free: (800) 537-7697, or by emailing OCRMail@hhs.gov. Content last reviewed November 7, 2019

Timeline

  • ResolutionNov 2019
  • Incident and investigation milestones are not consistently published by OCR in machine-readable form.

Key takeaways for your organization

  • Treat internet-facing systems and vendor-hosted environments as in-scope for HIPAA risk analysis and technical safeguards testing.
  • Maintain an actionable risk analysis tied to remediation milestones; evidence should map to Security Rule implementation specifications.
  • Align policies, procedures, and evidence with the specific CFR provisions cited in OCR resolutions affecting your entity type.
  • Run tabletop exercises for breach response, OCR inquiry handling, and privilege-preserving communications with counsel.

Related actions

OCR Resolves Twentieth Investigation in HIPAA Right of Access Initiative with $80,000 Settlement

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$80,000

Clinical Laboratory Pays $25,000 to Settle Potential HIPAA Security Rule Violations

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$25,000

HHS Office for Civil Rights Imposes a $200,000 Penalty Against Oregon Health & Science University for Failure to Provide Timely Access to Patient Records

—

$200,000

Source

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services release

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. medcomply.ai aggregates public materials for educational use — not legal advice.