OCR Audits: Forewarned is Forearmed

Healthcare Informatics: Although the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) HIPAA Compliance Audits have been delayed, we do know they’re coming. Originally slated to begin in fall 2014, the audits were placed on hold when the OCR announced that the audit portals and project management software were not yet fully-functioning. The recently released budget numbers for the OCR show that they have about $3.9 million in additional funding for the coming fiscal year, with a good percentage of that earmarked for case management and enforcement activities. Until these essential tools are brought up to speed, the audit process will remain in wait mode, with no projected start date at the time of this writing.

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