In a letter to the Inspector General who just criticized the agency for its lack of action, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) pledged to commence Phase 2 of its HIPAA audit program in early 2016.

The audits to check compliance with the security, privacy and breach rules of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) will include onsite visits and desk reviews. About 350 covered entities and business associates will be included in the audits.

Previously, OCR had chosen FCi Federal as the vendor to conduct the audits.


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