Long Term Care & Senior Living Blog

Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Director Jocelyn Samuels has made it clear that the “OCR remains committed to strong enforcement of the HIPAA Rules.” The latest settlement announced on 11/30/15 concerning Triple-S, an insurance holding company offering a wide range of insurance products and services, demonstrates just how committed the OCR is when it comes to HIPAA compliance. This settlement included payment of $3.5 Million and adopting a corrective action plan to implement a robust and comprehensive HIPAA compliance program pursuant to the Resolution Agreement entered by Triple-S.

As reported by Missouri Lawyers Weekly, “a parade of lab-coated doctors” appeared before the Missouri State Senate and House of Representatives in early February 2013 to argue that the recent Missouri Supreme Court decision in Watts v. Cox Medical Center will reverse years of declining malpractice insurance rates. In Watts, the Court held in a 4-3 decision that the statutory cap of $350,000 on noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering is unconstitutional because it violates the plaintiff’s right to a trial by jury. The doctors argued that unlimited noneconomic damages will harm the availability and affordability of health care in Missouri and that restoring the cap will help to control costs and keep doctors in Missouri.