On January 17, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the final rule to increase the civil penalties for violations of all laws enforced by HHS, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. For more information pertaining to HIPAA and what the legislation protects, visit the HHS website.
Covered entities who violate HIPAA on or after January 17, 2020 will be subject to increased penalties. The amount of the penalties vary based on the type of violation incurred, for example:
- For HIPAA violations where the individual did not know that they committed the violation, and by exercising reasonable diligence would not have known about the violation, the penalty amount would be between $119 and $59,522 for each violation, depending on the severity of the violation.
The Legal Update provides an overview of the increased HHS civil monetary penalties and additional resources to assist individuals and covered entities to limit the possibility of HIPAA violations. Because of the substantial penalties for HIPAA violations, it is important that employers periodically review their policies and procedures. Your Cowden Health and Benefits team can assist with the review and assuring your organization is in compliance.
Contact your Cowden representative for more information on this or other compliance issues.