DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

HIPAA complaints decreased significantly in 2009

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Dissent

The following is cross-posted from PHIprivacy.net:

Dennis Melamed provides monthly HIPAA complaint statistics based reports by the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

It seems that not only did breach reports in general decline in 2009 relative to 2008, but privacy and security complaints to HHS also declined. Melamed reports:

OCR received 7,116 complaints in 2009, a sharp decline from the 8,526 received in 2008 and 8,174 received in 2007. In 2006, OCR received 7,334 complaints.

Keeping in mind that some of us expected to see an increase in breach reports due to the new disclosure and notification provisions in HITECH, what are we to make of this?

Melamed reports that OCR did not provide any reasons for the decline with its statistics. But while interpreting a decline in non-HIPAA breach reports is somewhat muddled by an array of factors that could account for the decrease, decreases in HIPAA reports should be more straightforward to interpret because the law did not change in any way that would decrease reporting, and if anything, should have increased reporting.

So what is going on here? Are fewer people filing complaints because they have other priorities right now like the economy? Is it that some covered entities do not appear to realize that the law applies to them? Are covered entities deciding not to report and just risking the consequences because notification costs and breach costs are prohibitive when they are already struggling financially? If so, keep in mind that although states have fined individuals and entities for violations of HIPAA (cf, here and here for recent examples), HHS has not imposed any civil penalties for any breach.

Or is it the case that HIPAA-covered entities doing a better job of protecting privacy and hence, there are fewer incidents?

What do we make of the decline in reports?

Category: Commentaries and AnalysesOf Note

Post navigation

← HIPAA complaints decreased significantly in 2009
UK: ATL agrees to improve information security after thousands of union members’ personal details are stolen →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Dutch Government: More forms of espionage to be a criminal offence from 15 May onwards
  • B.C. health authority faces class-action lawsuit over 2009 data breach (1)
  • Private Industry Notification: Silent Ransom Group Targeting Law Firms
  • Data Breach Lawsuits Against Chord Specialty Dental Partners Consolidated
  • PA: York County alerts residents of potential data breach
  • FTC Finalizes Order with GoDaddy over Data Security Failures
  • Hacker steals $223 million in Cetus Protocol cryptocurrency heist
  • Operation ENDGAME strikes again: the ransomware kill chain broken at its source
  • Mysterious Database of 184 Million Records Exposes Vast Array of Login Credentials
  • Mysterious hacking group Careto was run by the Spanish government, sources say

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Period Tracking App Users Win Class Status in Google, Meta Suit
  • AI: the Italian Supervisory Authority fines Luka, the U.S. company behind chatbot “Replika,” 5 Million €
  • D.C. Federal Court Rules Termination of Democrat PCLOB Members Is Unlawful
  • Meta may continue to train AI with user data, German court says
  • Widow of slain Saudi journalist can’t pursue surveillance claims against Israeli spyware firm
  • Researchers Scrape 2 Billion Discord Messages and Publish Them Online
  • GDPR is cracking: Brussels rewrites its prized privacy law

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.