Last year the HHS Office for Civil Rights continued its current phase of HIPAA enforcement in earnest by increasing focus on audits for healthcare providers and business associates nationwide. As a result, 2016 was a record year for HIPAA enforcement actions and settlements with roughly $22,855,300 paid to OCR as a result of HIPAA violations. While speculation exists that the new administration’s focus on deregulation will eventually lessen HIPAA enforcement, all signs indicate that the OCR has no intention of slowing. The OCR currently has more than 200 ongoing audits for 2017, with five settlements already announced.  The most expensive settlement