The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the state Medicaid agency has agreed to pay HHS $1.7 million to settle possible HIPAA violations.
While investigating a data breach in which a portable electronic storage device that may have contained electronic personal health information was stolen from the vehicle of a DHSS employee, HHS found that the department did not have adequate policies and procedures in place to safeguard ePHI. According to the report, evidence suggested that DHSS had not completed a risk analysis, implemented sufficient risk management measures, conducted security training for its workforce members, established device and media controls or addressed device and media encryption.
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