An east Texas man, Joshua Hippler, was sentenced to 18 months in jail for violating HIPAA regulations. Basically, he was trying to sell PHI for personal gain. He worked in a hospital and obtained PHI that he planned to sell. The story here is not about Mr. Hippler, it’s about you being held accountable for the protection of PHI. It’s important to understand that you can now serve jail time for NOT being HIPAA compliant.Yes, it’s true, Hippler had criminal intent, but if you take HIPAA lightly and 2500 patient records are lost or stolen because of your decision, then why would you not be held accountable, too. Plus, it’s good business to implement HIPAA compliance for your healthcare business.
Remember this is the federal government. They’re going to take your time to perform the investigation, court hearings and then enforce the outcome of the case. You may not serve the maximum 10 year sentence, but it’s becoming more likely you will serve some time if you show malice or contempt for the law.
Take Away
The federal government is beginning to hand out jail time for HIPAA violations. If you work for a HIPAA covered entity or business associate, you need to make sure the business and you have taken steps to become HIPAA compliant.
Take our free risk assessment to know where you stand on your road to HIPAA compliance.
Protect your patients, protect your practice, protect yourself.