OCR settles medical records accessibility investigation
South Broward Hospital District d/b/a Memorial Healthcare System (Memorial Healthcare System) is to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office for Civil Rights (OCR) $60,000 regarding a HIPAA Right of Access violation.
A patient reported the HIPAA violation to OCR when he was unable to access his protected health information (PHI) within 30 days. According to HHS’s announcement, the patient reported sending “multiple requests by mail, telephone and Memorial Healthcare System’s patient portal, beginning on December 30, 2020.”
After nine months and the start of OCR’s inspection, the patient received his records. OCR concluded that this was a failure “to take timely action in response to the patient’s right of access requests in accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule.”
