LITIGATION ALERT: HEALTH CARE REFORM AND PRIVACY: New Podcast Series Launched
With the recent focus on health care reform, compliance with HIPAA's privacy and security requirements for handling patient health information is of paramount importance. Even if your business is not directly health-care related (but especially if it is), HIPAA's requirements may well apply if your business receives and uses patient health information in a real estate transaction, while doing corporate due diligence, or participating in other seemingly innocuous exchanges of information. The recent HITECH Act extends the reach of HIPAA (including expanded criminal and civil penalties) and increases the stakes for anyone who receives and handles patient health information.