HHS' Office of Civil Rights has settled with three dental offices over potential violations of a HIPAA provision giving patients the right of timely, affordable access to their medical records.
The enforcement actions were outlined in a Sept. 20 agency news release.
- Family Dental Care in Chicago agreed to pay $30,000 and implement a corrective action plan after a patient complained that she had only received a portion of her medical records and got the rest five months later after filing a complaint with OCR.
- Great Expressions Dental Center of Georgia agreed to pay $80,000 and institute a corrective action plan after an individual complained that she would have to pay a $170 copying fee for her records and didn't receive them for more than a year.
- Paradise Family Dental in Las Vegas agreed to pay $25,000 and implement a corrective action plan after a mother complained that it took the practice eight months and multiple requests to provide her with copies of her and her minor child's protected health information.