Issue #2: What the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Means for Clinics Like Yours

On July 4, 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Public Law 119-21)—a sweeping law combining historic tax reforms with over $1.5 trillion in cuts to Medicaid and Medicare over the next decade. While political headlines focused on tax relief, the ripple effects for healthcare providers—especially small and rural clinics—are significant and immediate. 

Top 4 Impacts to Watch 

1. Medicaid Cuts Mean More Uninsured Patients 

With work requirements, 6-month re-verifications, and tightened eligibility, many clinics will see a spike in self-pay or unbilled care. 
Risk: Increased bad debt, strained staff, and overwhelmed intake workflows. 

2. Medicare Rate Adjustments Aren’t Guaranteed to Help 

A proposed 2.5% rate bump in 2026 may not offset the long-term $500B+ in program reductions. 
Risk: Ambiguity in reimbursements complicates budget planning and risk modeling. 

3. Compliance Complexity Is Growing 

New verification rules, tighter eligibility audits, and more frequent documentation reviews raise the stakes for privacy, access control, and patient data handling. 
Risk: Failing to adjust access and record retention policies could trigger OCR scrutiny. 

4. Operational Gaps Will Be Exposed 

Clinics that rely on outdated intake systems or undertrained staff will struggle to adapt. 
Risk: Gaps in documentation and role-based access controls increase the likelihood of HIPAA violations under 45 CFR §164.308(a)(3). 

How SecureHealth Can Help 

Our GRC approach is built for this environment. Here's what we're offering in light of the new law: 
📊 Medicare/Medicaid Revenue Exposure Review – See how coverage changes might affect your cash flow 
🧩 Policy + Workflow Gap Assessment – Align your staff access and documentation with updated HIPAA/NIST expectations 
🧠 Staff Briefing Kit – Educate your team on what the new rules mean for intake, billing, and patient data 

What to Do This Month 

1. Review Patient Mix: Estimate how many Medicaid patients may be affected 
2. Update Role-Based Access Policies: Ensure only current staff have EMR access (HIPAA §164.308(a)(3)) 
3. Audit Billing & Intake Workflows: Are you prepared for more manual verifications and billing holds? 

Final Thought 

Regulatory change doesn’t just affect policy—it impacts how you run your clinic every day. Now’s the time to build resilience, tighten compliance, and protect your bottom line. SecureHealth is here to help. 
 

Compliance Briefs: Risk Clarity for Healthcare Leaders

The compliance landscape is shifting fast—especially for small and mid-sized healthcare practices. Each month, SecureHealth Risk Advisors distills the most important trends in HIPAA enforcement, cyber risk, and regulatory guidance into a short, actionable briefing.

Whether you're a practice manager, IT lead, or compliance officer, our goal is to help you stay informed, prepared, and ahead of the curve.

What You'll Find Here:

• OCR enforcement patterns and what they mean for your clinic

• Emerging risk areas (access control, breach readiness, policy gaps)

• Practical steps to strengthen your compliance posture

• SecureHealth insights, checklists, and service offerings

Let’s keep it simple and strategic. Explore below—and if you're ready to take action, we’re here to help.

Issue #1: HIPAA Enforcement Trends – What 2025 Is Teaching Us

2025 has become a defining year in HIPAA enforcement. From six-figure penalties levied against small practices to public breach settlements, OCR’s message is clear: compliance is not optional—and outdated policies are no longer defensible.

SecureHealth is tracking these patterns to help clinics like yours stay not just compliant, but resilient.

Enforcement Snapshot (Q3)

• $22.4M in fines issued so far

• 80% of recent OCR actions targeted small to mid-sized clinics

• Top violations:

  • Incomplete or outdated risk analyses

  • Weak access controls and offboarding

  • Missing or untested breach response plans

What We’re Seeing (and Why It Matters)

1. Outdated or Superficial Risk Analyses

• OCR continues to cite violations of 45 CFR §164.308(a)(1)(ii)(A) when entities fail to conduct a thorough and accurate risk analysis. Many clinics either use outdated templates or skip documentation altogether. This is one of the most cited deficiencies in 2025. 

2. Weak Access Controls & Poor Offboarding

• Under §164.308(a)(3)(ii)(B), covered entities must implement procedures for workforce access management. Yet enforcement reveals lingering access rights for terminated staff and insufficient role-based restrictions—direct HIPAA violations. 

3. Breach Response Plans Still Missing or Untested

• OCR expects documented and tested incident response procedures per §164.308(a)(6)(ii). Lack of these plans can lead to both compliance penalties and extended patient harm—especially in ransomware and misdirected email scenarios. 

✅ What Clinics Can Do Right Now 

1. Refresh Your Risk Analysis: Ensure it’s updated, documented, and tied to your current environment. 
2. Review User Access Monthly: Terminate inactive or unnecessary accounts immediately. 
3. Develop & Test Your Breach Response Plan: Include a call tree, containment steps, and PHI impact assessment. 

🛡️ How SecureHealth Risk Advisors Can Help 

- HIPAA-Aligned Security Risk Analysis (SRA) – Built on NIST SP 800-30, tailored to your environment 
- Access Control Playbook – Templates and guidance for least privilege, revocation, and audit trails 
- Incident Response SOP Kit – Customized workflows and readiness training 

📬 Final Thought 

Enforcement in 2025 is no longer just about large hospitals or blatant negligence—OCR is now focused on routine failures in small practices. If you're still relying on old policies or haven’t tested your breach response plan, the time to act is now.