The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Advanced Care Hospitalists has agreed to pay $500,000 to the Office for Civil Rights over alleged violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. A local hospital notified ACH in February 2014 that patient information was viewable on the Doctor’s First Choice Billings website. The information included names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers. ACH first informed the OCR 400 individuals were affected by the breach; however, a follow-up breach report stated 8,855 individuals could have been affected. The OCR found ACH never formally entered into a business associate agreement with an individual who claimed to have been a representative of Doctor’s First Choice. ACH will also be required to adopt a corrective action plan.
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