A recent federal action may signal an uptick in HIPAA enforcement, according to the law firm Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently settled a case with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Associates, Inc. (collectively MEEI), in which MEEI agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle possible HIPAA Security violations. Recently, HHS has operated in “compliant-driven” mode regarding HIPAA, Spencer Fane notes, but this recent case suggests a stricter HIPAA enforcement may be on the horizon.
