In a FierceCIO editorial, Caron Carlson points to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' $4.3 million fine against Cignet for HIPAA privacy violations and a Massachusetts General Hospital $1 million settlement in a HIPAA privacy case as indicative of the high costs of not adhering to privacy regulations. "Not only is the government pursuing enforcement, but it is going to come down particularly hard on organizations that don't take it seriously," she writes. Stressing that the recent fines should prompt healthcare providers to take privacy more seriously, she notes that data breach headlines are "not the kind of publicity the industry needs." Editor's note: Today's Privacy Tracker audio conference features an analysis of the recent HHS fine actions and insight on a new healthcare bill introduced in the state of Texas. Subscribers may access the recorded audio on the Privacy Tracker Web site.
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