Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

Investigation of complaints of violations to the Security Rule are under the direction of the...

1. Office of Civil Rights

2. Office of HIPAA Standards

3. Office of Health Information Technology

4. Office of Legal Compliance

The correct answer is: Office of HIPAA Standards

The investigation of complaints about violations of the Security Rule falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR). This office is part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is primarily responsible for enforcing the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which includes both the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule. The role of OCR includes handling and investigating complaints from individuals regarding the handling of their protected health information (PHI) and overseeing compliance with the HIPAA regulations. This means that when a complaint is filed regarding potential violations of the Security Rule—such as inadequate protection of electronic health records or failure to secure data—the OCR is the designated entity to investigate these claims. The other options do not have a role in investigating Security Rule violations directly. The Office of HIPAA Standards, for instance, focuses more on developing and maintaining standards, while the Office of Health Information Technology deals with policy guidance related to health information technology but does not manage complaints or investigations. Similarly, the Office of Legal Compliance typically addresses legal issues within the organization but does not specifically handle HIPAA violations or complaints under the Security Rule.