GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - The US Department of Health and Human Services is buckling down and increasing penalties on violations for the new HIPPA HITECH law.
The new regulations will now hold more businesses responsible for releasing medical records whether it was an accident or intentional.
This means that entities working with healthcare providers such as IT departments and even janitorial services will be affected by patient privacy laws.
"Any information, just one customer's file being faxed to the wrong phone number, is a breach of the HIPPA HITECH law," said Ken Burns, E-Waste Recyclers. "We have to pay attention to what's happening here with all the medical records and make sure that we're putting things in place - policies and procedures - to document what's happening and what's going on in business."
A single fine ranges from $100.00 to $1.5 million dollars. The final rule takes effect on March 26th. Businesses will be required to comply by September 23rd.
E-waste Recyclers says they can work with businesses on compliance efforts.
