 | HIPAA Has Teeth |  | HIPAA violations carry the risk of both civil and criminal penalties. Here’s a quick sketch of the risk : | | | | Violation | Damages | Jail Time | | Knowing violation | $50,000 | 1 Year | | False Pretenses | $100,000 | 5 Years | | Intent to sell, or use | $250,000 | 10 Years | | | | On July 15th, 2008 | Providence Health & Services was forced to pay a $100,000 fine for violations of HIPAA. | | "...On several occasions between September 2005 and March 2006, backup tapes, optical disks, and laptops, all containing unencrypted electronic protected health information, were removed from the Providence premises and were left unattended. The media and laptops were subsequently lost or stolen, compromising the protected health information..." | | - Full Release Text |  | | |  | FACTS |  | | 67% of those audited submitted to corrective action (which includes Department of Justice referrals)
|  | | |  | And Enforcement is up 60% since 2004 |  | |  | | |  |
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