Tag Archives: HIPAA

A MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AGREED TO PAY $1.5 MILLION TO SETTLE A HIPAA PRIVACY VIOLATION

            HHS’ Office of Civil Rights announced this week that a Mass. health care provider will pay a $1.5 million settlement to resolve a HIPAA privacy violation.   http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/examples/meei-agreement.html.  The monetary settlement is part of a resolution agreement and the result of the alleged 2010 theft of a laptop computer that held 3,621 patient records.  The … Continue reading

Is There a Hidden Private Cause of Action For HIPAA Violations?

We all know that HIPAA/HITECH provides for civil and, potentially, criminal penalties  if protected health information is disclosed in violation of the privacy rule.  However, Congress did not provide for a private cause of action under HIPAA.  Of course, that has not stopped plaintiffs’  lawyers from attempting to find a way to bring a claim … Continue reading