EHNAC Executive Director Addresses Impact of HIPAA Safe Harbor Law
HealthIT Answers March 26, 2021
Lee Barrett outlines ruling; discusses benefits for companies employing recognized security practices
On January 5 of this year, H.R. 7898 (Public Law 116-321), also known as the HIPAA Safe Harbor Law, was enacted. Under this legislation, covered entities (CEs) and business associates (BAs) that deal with protected health information (PHI) and maintain accredited security standards for more than 1 year could face lesser fines, penalties and audit scrutiny by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the event of a cyberattack or data breach. With uncertainty surrounding the exact requirements that will be mandated by the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services (HHS), Lee Barrett, CEO and Executive Director of the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC), tackled several...