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Office of Civil Rights to Enforce HIPAA Privacy Rule

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights ("OCR") is responsible for enforcing medical privacy regulations. The OCR has been given the authority to interpret the HIPAA Privacy Rule, to implement policies and procedures, as well as to impose civil monetary penalties for violations of the Privacy Rule.

The Privacy Rule is part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act passed by Congress in 1996. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General is responsible for enforcing fraud and abuse regulations designed to protect Medicare and Medicaid. The OCR has been given the responsibility to protect patient privacy.

According to the Bureau of National Affairs, the OCR is currently training its staff to handle Privacy Rule enforcement. The OCR may pursue such activities as investigating health care providers or reviewing health care providers’ privacy policies and procedures, independent of whether or not someone has filed a complaint against the health care provider.

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