Urgent HIPAA Alert for Small Practices

If you’re a dentist, pharmacist, or solo/small medical clinic owner using any electronic health records or e‑billing, a brand‑new federal mandate is scheduled to hit you hard by mid‑2026. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is in the process of finalizing a rule that will require a variety of cybersecurity services permanently implemented along with annual penetration tests (“pen‑tests”) for every HIPAA‑covered entity — regardless of size.

Why You Can’t Ignore This

• Massive Fines: Violations can cost up to $1.5 million per year per violation category — even for tiny offices.

• Rising Cybercrime: Healthcare hacking is up nearly 90% since 2019. Recovering from a ransomware attack often tops six figures.

• Business‑Killing Downtime: A breach forces you offline. No EHR = no billing, no appointments, lost revenue.

• Reputation Ruin: One data leak destroys patient trust — and referrals — permanently.

• Incarceration of Gross or Malicious Offenders: Up to a $250k fine and up to 10 years in prison for all people involved in a breach.

Potential Penalties for Non-Compliance

• Tier 1 (Lack of Knowledge): $141 to $35,581 per violation, with an annual cap of $35,581.​

• Tier 2 (Reasonable Cause): $1,424 to $71,162 per violation, with an annual cap of $142,355.​

• Tier 3 (Willful Neglect, Corrected): $14,232 to $71,162 per violation, with an annual cap of $355,808.

• Tier 4 (Willful Neglect, Not Corrected): $71,162 to $2,134,831 per violation, with an annual cap of $2,134,831.

 What You Must Do NOW

• Schedule a FREE HIPAA readiness review with us.

• Book your first annual pen‑test (costs four to five figure costs vs. repeated six‑figure fines)

• Lock down security with multi‑factor authentication, encryption, and updated vendor agreements.

Timeline (Final Rule Expected Late 2025)

• Comment period closed March 2025

• Final rule published Q4 2025

• Compliance deadline ~180 days later (~mid‑2026)

The government is no longer messing around. Don’t wait until a breach or regulator forces your hand. Click to Call or Email us to secure your practice — before it’s too late.